Supernatural: The Song of Aquarius
by Yunorok
Summary: Dean and Sam travel to Destin, Florida to investigate what seem to be unusual shark attacks. Where Dean expects to find a quick case and a nice vacation, the brothers actually find a danger that threatens the citizens and vacationers in the resort town. Teaming up with a pair of siblings caught right in the middle of it all, the Winchesters do what they do best: saving people.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

The room was warmly lit, but felt cold. People wearing black suits and dresses crowded the homely decorated room. Soft voices could be heard murmuring conversations, but an uncomfortable quietness lingered in the room, like there was something everyone wanted to talk about, but they didn't want anyone to know they were talking about it.

There were pictures hanging on the wall of peaceful oceans, hopeful Christian images, and calm mountains. Photographs of a young man rested on stands around the room, bringing people back to happier days. Flowers rested on almost every surface in the large, neutral colored room.

Leon stood in the crowded room, but totally isolated from everyone else. He felt like all eyes were secretly on him. He just wanted to be left alone, but he knew that would never happen. His isolation would only be short lived. It was his older brother's visitation after all. The funeral would be tomorrow morning. His eyes were sore and dry from crying on and off all day. People had already gone through the line, hugging him and his little sister and offering their condolences. It was a gesture Leon appreciated, but right now he wanted to be anywhere other than with all these people.

A hand gently rested on his shoulder. He turned to see which old lady it would be this time. It wasn't an old lady at all. It was his younger sister Cassandra, but she went by Cassie. Her eyes were also red from tears, but otherwise her face was as petite and beautiful as ever. She always carried herself with a level of sophistication that Leon didn't often find in other girls her age. She had just had her twenty-first birthday a few months before. She was two years his younger sister.

She squeezed his shoulder lovingly, "How are you holding up?" She said quietly to him.

"I'm okay. I just want to go home."

"We could. Just up and leave."

"That would look bad. All these people came to support us."

"I suppose..." she said quietly. She shifted her weight from one leg to the other and sighed. "I still haven't gone over to the coffin. Too many people." she looked down at Leon's hands and took them in hers.

"They're there to help." He assured her and gave her hands a slight squeeze.

"Will you go with me?"

"Yes."

The siblings, hands interlocked, walked solemnly over to the coffin of their older brother Chester. As they approached, all the people mingling around the coffin stopped their murmuring and stared with sad eyes at the siblings. The coffin was a light wood and totally closed. The mortuary manager had advised them to go with a closed casket due to the condition of their older brother's body. They approached the coffin and placed their spare hands on the wood.

It was as cold as death.

Cassie began crying. Leon placed his arms around her and cried with her.

"I wish mom and dad were here." she cried.

"Me too."

From the crowd, the siblings' grandmother approached them and embraced them both as she stared at the coffin.

"He loved you very much, you know." she said to them. Neither responded with a word. They only nodded their heads strongly and cried more audibly.

Their parents had died when they were young. Chester and their grandmother had been their primary caregivers as they grew up. It was Chester who had taught them how to swim, surf, and scuba dive. He had molded them into the young man and woman that they were now. Life didn't seem like it would be the same again. It wouldn't, and they knew it.

The siblings cried in their grandmother's arms. She also cried. The room fell silent except the sniffing and groaning from their crying spell. Everyone looked at them and felt the ache in their own hearts. The family had already been through so much. Many feared this was the last thing it would take to break Leon and Cassie. They loved their older brother.

Now he was gone. Forever.

As the night grew old the crowds filtered out family by family until it was just the siblings and their grandmother. She gave them both a great hug.

"I love you and I'm always here if you need me." she comforted them.

"We know. We're here for you too." Cassie said giving her grandmother another hug.

"Why don't you come stay with me for a few days? It might help."

"Thanks grammah, but I think we'll just go back to our place. I'd just like to be alone for a while." Leon explained. He wasn't entirely being truthful. He just wanted to be with his sister. She was the only one that really understood him and he her.

"Okay, but the invitation stands. Always."

"Love you." the siblings said and headed out into the night.

Destin was rarely quiet, but tonight it was. Usually there were tourists going everywhere all day and night. Walking the boardwalk, taking out pontoons, bar-hopping, and various entertainment venues were attractions Destin offered that most tourists enjoyed. Right now, though, was the short off-season that came just before the winter season tourists came. Most of the attractions were closed because the locals had no interest in them.

Cassie and Leon made their way down to the beach near where they worked. The water was still and quiet. The moon could be seen reflecting off the sea like a mirror. What was once beautiful to them to marvel at now felt like staring at a tomb, or even a murderer. Shark attacks were rare, but they did happen. It seemed like they were happening more and more frequently nowadays. An unfortunate, unpredictable reality of ocean-side life.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Darren Ward swiped his electronic keycard against the reader at the front door of Fitness Xtreme. He actually enjoyed working out. He had been scrawny through high school and hadn't thought much about his size. However, in college he became the unlikely best friend of the football team's captain since they ended up being placed as roommates.

That's when hitting the gym started! Billy, his roommate, had been working out for years. But he didn't just want to work out, he wanted to enjoy it and watch it benefit someone. That's when he invited Darren along. Darren hadn't wanted to go, but because he liked Billy, he agreed to go. He thought he'd hate it, but he didn't. He learned how to do it. He enjoyed the time with his best friend. Plus, it worked. He could see muscles developing on his body. He was gaining weight. He was gaining strength. And he was gaining confidence.

Now he was incredibly fit, some even called him "ripped." He knew that if he wanted to keep such a title, he needed to keep it up. For this reason, he continued to hit the gym and went to the ocean regularly to swim. There was another reason he liked going to the gym, though.

Darren knew that since he had been going to Fitness Xtreme, there had been a woman who was very interested in him. He knew she checked him out. She started coming to the gym around the same time as him a while back and watched him lift every day. She ran on the elliptical and tried to secretly steal glances as he lifted. He pretended not to notice or care, but secretly, he loved it. It gave him a boost of confidence. It helped that she was smokin' hot!

He walked toward the locker room to change out of his work clothes. The room was totally empty. He removed his clothes and grabbed his new work out apparel. He looked at his new clothes and second-guessed himself. Could he really pull these off? He pulled on his compression briefs and pulled his new shorts up. He felt almost naked. The shorts didn't even reach halfway down his thighs. He pulled down his tight lifting singlet and headed out to the weight room. As he passed the locker room mirror, he glanced at himself. He definitely wasn't terribly comfortable in his new revealing shorts, but he did think he looked pretty good in them. Hopefully his secret admirer would too!

He went over to the squat bar and got to work. He glanced over and saw his admirer right where she always was: on the elliptical. He wasn't sure if she knew what his name was, but he knew hers was Trini. He wasn't sure what her last name was. The real question was whether or not she was watching him. He pushed himself hard to lift more than he did last time so he made sure to grunt a bit to get her attention.

It worked. She was looking, and she looked like she liked what she was seeing. Maybe one day he would go over and ask her to dinner or something. He would really like that. She was a good looking girl and she looked to be about his age, maybe a little bit older.

He tried not to pay too much attention to her. He was afraid that would make him look too interested, like he was desperate or something. Though, sometimes, he kinda' felt like he was. He forced his attention around the rest of the gym. It was pretty empty today. There were a couple guys who looked like they were friends over by the dumbbells. They reminded him of Billy and himself in college. One was a young man of average height, but fairly large muscle mass, working out with a slightly taller, but much smaller guy. They looked like they were close friends, which made him miss Billy a little. The rest of the crowd in the gym were on the treadmills and elliptical. Mostly women of various ages, but there was a guy on a treadmill too.

A young woman walked through the door. She wasn't someone that Darren recognized, but that could be said of several of the people at the gym. She looked like a pretty intense business woman. She was dressed in a chic dress and tall heels. The odd thing was that she wasn't carrying a bag or anything. Darren watched her, wondering what she would be doing. She certainly couldn't work out in what she was wearing.

He continued to stare at the woman. She was really interesting to him, but he wasn't sure why. Almost too interesting. He couldn't seem to take his eyes off of her. He felt the strongest urge to watch her that he had ever felt. He didn't just want to watch her. He wanted to touch her, to follow her.

She stood in the center of the room and lifted her sunglasses up onto her head. Her eyes were fierce green. They were not bright, just mean-looking. Almost like the eyes of a snake. All eyes in the gym were on her. Some looked at her with lust. Some with confusion. Some almost looked like they weren't thinking anything at all, but regardless, their eyes were on her. She smirked and opened her mouth. Everyone stopped to hear what she had to say, but she didn't speak. Rather, she sang. Her song was strange and foreign sounding. It was unlike anything Darren had ever heard. It was haunting, but beautiful.

As she sang, the world seemed to fade away. She turned slowly and began heading back out the front door. Suddenly, lifting didn't seem very important. Not even fun or interesting. It felt meaningless. Darren dropped what he was doing and followed the woman out the door. It wasn't just him walking out. Everyone in the entire gym was behind this woman. They all marched straight out of the gym and onto the streets. Why were they following her? Who was she? Where were they going? For some reason, the answers didn't seem very important. What was important was that they followed her. The last thing he remembered was walking into the ocean. After that, everything went dark.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Dean slept on the grungy bed of a motel. The walls were covered in wallpaper featuring birds of various colors and shapes rowed up and down. The clock in the room was counted by looking at which exotic bird the small and large bird foot were pointing at. The beds were themed similarly with feathers printed across the bedding. He didn't care, though. He just wanted to get some sleep.

Dean and Sam had just finished a case early in the morning. They were in Toledo, Ohio hunting a pack of werewolves. It wasn't a particularly tough hunt, but it had taken longer than they wanted it to. The pack was large and well-versed in hiding. Tracking them down had been the challenge, not the actual ganking.

Dean tossed and turned in his sleep, looking like he was wrestling an alligator under the sheets. His nightmares seemed to happen every time he slept, but in varying degrees. He was soaked in sweat. Sam looked over at him, frowning deeply. He hated seeing his brother like this. But, per usual, Dean was his stubborn, nothing's-wrong self. Sam could ask as many times as he wanted, but Dean would just brush him off like there was nothing bothering him. The best way to reach Dean was to let Dean reach out first. Even though he knew this, he also knew that he wouldn't be able to resist asking Dean to open up to him for long.

Sam threw the bottle cap from the beer he was drinking as he scrolled through various news sites on his laptop across the garish motel room he and his brother were staying at, hitting Dean right below his chin. Dean startled awake.

"What?" he asked annoyed.

"Think I found a case, dude."

"Yeah, what's up?" Dean asked in a raspy voice like people get when they just wake up.

"Could be nothing, but there have been over five shark attacks at a beach in Destin, Florida in the last couple months."

Dean was up and walking over to his little brother, "So? Shark attacks happen at beaches."

"Well, that's the thing. They really don't. Before these five attacks, I looked and there have only been 2 attacks in the last 35 years. Don't you think that 5 in a couple months seems like a drastic increase?"

"Haven't you seen _Jaws_? This is normal. Probably just some super shark or something." Dean cracked a smile.

"Real funny, but that's fiction Dean. I'm talkin' real people dying to shark attacks, but get this. The Sheriff of Destin and the Beach Patrol Chief have both said that though they think this has to be shark attacks, nobody has seen a shark roaming the shore around these deaths."

"So? Just because you don't see it doesn't mean it's not there."

"Yeah, but I've read some forums about Destin and its beaches and all them say that sharks are spotted around the shore just about every single day. They have a high Tiger Shark population, but they rarely show any interest in people."

"So do you want to check it out?" Dean asked, a smile creeping across his face.

"Yeah, I do. That's only half of it. On top of that, a number of people have gone missing. No one has found them. So unless you have a better lead on a case, I say we go."

"Nope. Several dead to sharks. Several missing. I guess we're going to the beach!" Dean hooped and hopped backward onto the bed, lounging with his hands behind his head. "It's about time we get a vacation."

"This isn't a vacation, Dean. People are dying. This is work." Sam lectured.

"Yeah, whatever. Haven't you ever heard of mixing business with pleasure? Relax a bit, dude."

Sam sighed and shook his head. His brother was impossible sometimes, but it was good to see Dean smile about something finally. It had been a long time since he had seen his older brother truly excited about anything. It wasn't that long ago that Dean actually had become a demon himself, working with Crowley, the king of Hell, to deliver souls to eternal damnation. If Sam hadn't saved him, he would still be a black-eyes, torturing and killing anyone he wanted to. Ever since Sam had saved him and he'd learned all that he'd done as a demon, Dean hadn't smiled much. The guilt burdened him immensely. Maybe it would be good for him to get on a beach and relax a little.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Cassie and Leon walked up the street toward their grandmother's house. The lights were on in the house. Leon checked his watch. It was after 6:15. They were late.

They approached the door and knocked. Their grandmother opened the door and smiled the smile that only a grandmother could. Her smile was warm, like melted caramel. Cassie smiled back, but her eyes filled with tears. The loss of Chester was still an open wound, but her grandmother always seemed to give her a little peace of mind. It was a gift she had.

She hugged her grandmother. Leon placed his arms around both of them in a big hug. He cried a bit too. They heard footsteps crossing their grandmother's kitchen in the house; the only room with hard floors.

Separating from their embrace, they peered through the doorway to see who it was.

"Hello, kids!" Stella said. She was the singer down at the Tiki Torch Tavern. She had arrived a few months ago and had quickly gotten in with the Sonova family. She had been a friend to the siblings at work and a source of strength, protection, and comfort for them during their time of grief. She had almost acted as a second mother to them in the short time they'd known her.

"Stella!" Cassie said with a smile. "I didn't know you were going to be here."

"Of course I'm here." she said with a smile, arms out for a hug. "I'm always here for you."

Cassie embraced her. "Thank you." Cassie cried a bit. "It means a lot to me."

Stella squeezed her lovingly and said nothing.

The group sat down at the dinner table and enjoyed the home cooking of Karen. She was famous around the police station for her cooking. They said it was the best in the South.

Karen brought out fried chicken, green beans, mashed potatoes, and Jell-O. It was the kids' favorite dessert. At least, it was when they were younger. Grandparents never forget that kind of thing.

"It looks delicious, as usual." Stella complimented. Karen smiled.

"Thanks grammah!" Leon said, dishing himself a large portion of food.

"So much for ladies first." Cassie laughed.

"The boy's hungry." Stella jested. "Let 'im eat!"

Cassie and Leon lost track of time. They were enjoying Stella's stories of traveling the world before arriving at Destin. She had tales of adventure, mischief, and even some heartbreak. She had a way of telling stories that just pulled a person in. It wasn't until well after midnight the siblings made their way back to their little home, feeling at least a little better than they had been since Chester's death.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

It was another beautiful sunny day. Over the hours of lunch, her favorite time to take a quick dip in the ocean because there was usually no one else around during the off-season, Marissa Wenton strolled down the white beach. The water was perfectly calm, like a glass floor. The heat was strong, but she liked hot weather. That's why she moved to Destin in the first place. She hated the winter and she hated snow. She wouldn't miss it if she never saw it again.

She brushed her hair out of her face and kicked off her flip-flops in the sand. She stripped her white sundress off, revealing a cute white bikini with pale pink polka dots. She had seen it in the store just weeks before and just had to have it. She placed her purse on top of her dress, which contained nothing of any value in it; just a bottle of water, a case for her sunglasses, and a cheap book she was reading through.

She turned to face the ocean. She smiled as she prepared to walk in, at least until someone caught her eye. Walking along the beach, just letting the water wash up onto his feet, was the most handsome man Marissa had seen. Destin was often jammed pack with young men, but this man took the cake. Clad in tight, nylon swimming shorts that left almost nothing to the imagination, he smiled at her as he walked

Marissa couldn't help but smile back. She hadn't ever felt so instantly attracted to a man before. She had been living in Destin for about three years now and hadn't found a man she was so interested in before. His body was so perfectly formed. He clearly went to the gym often. She couldn't help but stare. She loved his soft dirty-blonde hair. She loved everything about him. She needed to meet him. Just to say hi. Just to be near him.

He stopped in front of her and went into the water to swim. She stood and gawked. Finally, the man turned around and smiled to her. Her smile, which hadn't faded since she first saw him, only grew wider. He waved to her to come into the water with him. She tried so hard to contain her glee so she didn't make a fool of herself. Putting on her sexiest lady's walk, she made her way to the water.

The sun glistened on his wet skin and hair, attracting her to him even more. She continued to swim out to him, but as she swam out, he continued to tread deeper into the sea.

Before Marissa even noticed, the water was up to her neck. The man had stopped and was treading water, smiling at her. She smiled back and gave a quick wave.

She swam the distance between them and could no longer feel the ground under her feet. He grabbed her arms and placed them around his neck so she didn't have to keep herself above the water anymore.

He leaned in and kissed her. She closed her eyes and lost herself in the kiss. He kissed her neck, and proceeded kissing her as he made his way behind her. Holding her from behind he pressed his body tightly against her. She was living her fantasy. This was the man she had been waiting for. She would do anything to have him. She looked up at the sun and dreamt of the future they would have together.

Suddenly she faltered and sank under the water for a brief second. She kicked her feet to regain herself above water and realized the man was no longer holding her. She turned around. He was gone. She spun around again.

She was alone.

She looked to the shore. There was no one there. The beach was empty and there wasn't a sign of the man. Had he been grabbed by a shark? There had been so many shark attacks recently. But they were never out around noon. They always showed themselves around evening. Panic began twisting her heart.

Treading water, she felt something brush against her foot. She let out a quick, sharp gasp and scanned the water intensely for anything. She saw nothing. She was still alone. Where was the man?

In an instant she was pulled completely under water. Something had her by her foot. She tried to swim herself up above the water, but couldn't. She was being held too tightly. She kicked hard and squirmed, trying to set herself free, but whatever had her was far too strong.

She looked around her trying to get an idea of what had her, but she couldn't see anything. Her struggling and kicking had kicked up too much sand and too many bubbles. There was no visibility. She looked above her and saw the glimmering of the sun above the water growing smaller into the distance.

Suddenly a sharp pain in her leg. It felt sharp and hot, like something had stabbed her...or worse... _bitten_ her. She screamed, but only a distant sound came as the water filtered the shout. As she screamed she saw the water turning red around her. Why was it turning red?

Blood.

Marissa stared in fear and shock as she realized the growing cloud of red in the water was _her_ blood. The pain from the various bites on her faded away as she stopped struggling. She looked up one last time and saw a red glow through the blood as the sun disappeared above her. She closed her eyes and succumbed to the bites.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

The airport drop-off area was almost completely empty as a beat up cab pulled to a stop along the curb.

"Here ya' are boys." the grizzled man who had reminded the Winchesters of their second father, Bobby said as he dropped them off.

Sam looked at the taxi driver fondly. Bobby had always been there for them, no matter what. He stood by them even as Sam was to be the vessel through which Lucifer would destroy the world. He stood by them even to his death. Sam missed him terribly.

Sam was startled out of his memories by the slamming of a door.

"You okay?" Dean asked in an irritated voice as he grabbed his duffle bag from the trunk.

"Yeah." Sam said, noticing that the cab driver was giving him a strange look. "Thanks for the ride." Sam handed him some cash Dean had won from poker at a biker bar a few days back.

Dean watched hope disappear as the taxi drove off around the turn. This was it. He sighed heavily and faced the doors to the airport with his little brother.

"It'll be fine, dude." Sam assured him.

"It's never fine!" Dean complained. "Remember the last time we flew? We almost died getting that thing off the plane." Years back Dean and Sam had ridden a plane knowing there was a demon on board who had been causing planes to crash. After a long terrifying flight and nearly a heart attack for Dean they managed to exorcise the devil from the plane. Their deeds had saved nearly a hundred people as the plane landed safely. Dean was not ready for another flight. He could think of nothing he feared more. Death traps with wings...

Sam put a hand on Dean's shoulder and spoke to him in a baby voice, "It's okay Deany weany, I'll make sure da big bad plane doesn't hurt you." Sam laughed.

"Sammy..." Dean met eyes with Sam and held them fiercely. "I'm not five. This is not a monster in the closet, which is real by the way and you know it. This is an airplane, perfectly capable of crashing and killing us all."

"Uh-huh." Sam rolled his eyes.

"You want five year old? How about we go to a circus. Maybe watch the clown show?"

"Whatever, Dean. Clowns are weird. Only a psycho would dress up like that."

"Whatever, let's just get this over with."

The brothers walked through the airport and got their boarding passes. The airport wasn't very crowded, probably because it wasn't exactly vacation season. It was toward the end of October. Everyone was still in school and at work. Dean and Sam just had a different kind of job than most people. Hunters did get one perk: traveling.

As they approached security, Dean turned to Sam and whispered, "I knew this was a bad idea, by the way. We're not going to have any weapons."

"We'll get some when we're there."

"Yeah, well we shoulda' driven." Dean complained. "I miss my baby."

"Baby will be fine."

Sam stepped up to the security manager who instructed him to remove his shoes, belt, any metal objects, and anything in his pockets. After he had done so he stepped into the large body scanner and raised his hands. The machine hummed to life as two large scanning rods circled him. When it finished, the man waved Sam out so that he could collect his belongings.

He then motioned for Dean to do the same. Dean removed his shoes and belt and stepped into the scanner. He raised his hands as the machine did its magic. Stepping out, the security guard held his hand up at Dean in a _stop_ gesture. Dean looked desperately at Sam who just smiled and shrugged.

The man began feeling up and down Dean's jeans.

"Excuse me? That's private" Dean said irritated as the man felt around his waist.

"Scanner says ya' got somethin' on ya'." the security guard said as if he'd been working this job far too long to care anymore. "Gotta' find it."

He looked at the scanner's monitor which highlighted the right pocket of Dean's jeans. The man felt Dean's right pocket through the fabric.

"Can I help you?" Dean asked shortly.

"Actually, yes. Reach in and pull anything out of your pocket."

Dean reached in and, after fishing about for a few seconds, pulled out a small fragment of paper that looked like a torn-off corner of a receipt or something.

"Thanks, I feel so much safer now." Dean complained.

"Just doin' my job. Yer free ta' go." the man said plainly.

"Thank you..." Dean huffed and gathered his things.

They boarded the small plane labeled with the destination "Destin, FL" and found their seats. Sam placed his and his older brother's duffle bags above their seats and took his seat in the plane next to Dean.

The plane was mostly full with passengers casually finding their seats, taking care of their luggage, and getting comfortable into their seats. Everyone seemed normal and content, except for Dean.

Dean's face was white with fear and he was breathing like he was in a birthing class.

"Relax dude, we haven't even left the ground yet."

Dean said nothing. Just kept breathing.

The announcer came on. _This is your captain. Thank you for choosing AmericAir as your travel companion. We'll be departing in just moments. Please turn your attention to your flight attendants as they run you through flight procedures. Enjoy your flight._ The announcement speaker beeped off and three well-dressed men stepped into the aisles to run the passengers through emergency procedures.

"What's this? Since when are there male flight attendants?" Dean asked quietly to his brother.

"I don't know...like, since forever?"

"Really? All three of them are dudes." Dean rolled his eyes. "Next you'll tell me there's male nurses."

"Dean, there are male nurses. It's a respected career."

Dean just shook his head and turned his attention to the prissy gentleman giving the passengers instructions. He explained what to do in case of air pressure loss, a sudden emergency landing in water, a landing on land, or oxygen loss.

Dean looked at his brother, his eyes wide with fear. "Oxygen loss?! Air pressure?! Crash landings?! Dude! This isn't safe. I want off!" Dean began unfastening his seatbelt and standing up when Sam pushed him back into his seat.

"Dude! Chill out. It'll be fine! Buckle up and try to relax."

The flight attendants locked the doors, took their seats, and the lights in the plane shut off.

"Is that normal?" Dean panicked.

"Yes, that's normal. Everything's fine."

The plane's engines roared to life, vibrating their seats as the plane raced forward on the runway, gaining speed for takeoff. The passengers shook rapidly as the plane pushed against the air pressure outside. Slowly the plane inched its way off of the ground and into the air. Dean looked out the window and saw the ground getting farther and farther away from his feet. He gripped his chair's armrests so tightly his hands were turning white. Sam looked at his brother and smiled.

"Calm down, dude. We're fine." He placed his hand on top of Dean's and squeezed it affectionately, a gesture that Dean would normally have pulled away from to avoid a "chick-flick moment". He didn't pull away. He looked wide-eyed at Sam and held his breath tightly.

"Breathe, man." Sam instructed, breathing audibly to guide Dean. Dean struggled to match his breathing through an exaggerated "O" shaped mouth. Sam smiled at Dean and held his eyes on Dean's.

The plane leveled out after what felt like forever to Dean and things calmed down. Sam reached over him and pulled the window closed in hopes that it would help Dean forget he was over 40,000 meters in the air. A height from which anyone who fell would die, even in a plane. He stood up and rummaged through his duffel bag for something.

Sam sat back down and handed his brother his old Walkman and a pair of headphones.

"It's got Ozzy in it." He said. Dean's eyes lit up like Sam had saved his life.

"You're the best! Forget anything bad I ever said about you! I never meant it!" He placed the headphones over his ears and pushed play. "Crazy Train" blasted into his ears like a lullaby to the older Winchester son.

Closing his eyes, Dean felt Sammy place his hand back on his and squeeze. He almost pulled his hand away, but decided it wasn't worth it. Sometimes it's easier to let people have their moments. Within minutes Dean drifted off to sleep to the lulling voice of Ozzy.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Trini Scallon woke up; her head was pounding. Where was she? Opening her eyes, she found herself entirely trapped inside some...casing. It looked like mucus. Light was shining through the casing, but only a bit. There was clearly a source of light coming from somewhere outside the casing she was trapped in.

How did she get here? Where was here? The last thing she remembered was being at the gym. She was running on the elliptical. She remembered walking into the gym. She remembered waving at that cute guy that lifted weights. He was the reason she started going to the gym after lunch instead of before. That's when he worked out and she wanted to watch him do it. After the elliptical she couldn't remember anything. Her memories just went blank. And now she was here.

Panic swelled inside of her. It spread throughout her mind like a disease, making its way into her body until she couldn't contain herself anymore. Her hands and head began shaking. She tried to kick her legs but couldn't move them. Looking down, she found her body was entirely enveloped in some sort of goopy membrane-like goo up to her waist. She couldn't even feel that part of her body. She screamed as loudly as she could. Hopefully there was someone out there who could hear her. There was a source of light, after all. That meant there maybe was some pathway to the outside. Hopefully someone was nearby.

Screaming, she began pounding her fists against the shell that contained her. It was hard, like the shell of an over-sized egg. She felt like it was possible for her to break it. She would try anything. She needed to get out of here!

As she continued punching, she could hear the shell cracking. Pieces began falling, allowing more light through. She punched and punched; her fists were bleeding. Finally, she made it through. She was free!

She braced her hands to climb out. Hope died. She couldn't pull herself out. She had forgotten her legs were trapped. She couldn't get them free. She tore at more of the shell, until she had torn enough away to see her surroundings.

She was in what looked like an empty warehouse. The walls were made of concrete and ridged steel. The ceiling was bare, save a row of sun windows running along the ceiling to her right. That was the source of light she saw. She couldn't see anything out the window from her angle as far as structures go. Just blue sky.

Scanning the room she became more alarmed. She wasn't the only one in the room. There were several others trapped in the casings. From the outside they looked a little like gooey cocoons. But what could have put the people in them?

She screamed, hoping that someone would hear her, but knowing in the back of her head that there was no one around. She seemed to be the only person that had stirred from within the cocoon. She could see the dark figures of men and women inside the cocoons, most resting in the fetal position, like embryos in a mother's womb.

The loud creak of a door opening echoed through the room. Trini could hear footsteps coming from behind a thin wall to her left. She held her breath as the footsteps came to a stop at the thin door leading into the large warehouse room she was trapped in.

The door opened and a slim woman wearing a light blue sun dress and platform heeled flip-flops strode through. "Oh gosh, please let me out! Please help me!" Trini begged.

The woman didn't respond. Didn't even acknowledge Trini to be in the room it seemed. She marched straight toward her. Something was wrong. Trini started to panic. This felt wrong. She didn't get the feeling this woman was here to help.

The woman stopped right in front of her. "You shouldn't have broke out, my child. Bad children must be punished." she said in a deep and intimidating voice. She smirked. Trini thought she must be imagining things, but it looked like the woman's fingernails began to grow longer and sharper. The woman raised her hand in the air, as if she was a princess waving at her subjects, and sliced it across Trini's neck.

Trini gasped. She couldn't speak. She couldn't breathe. She saw the woman lick a copious amount of blood off her fingernails. She could feel blood flowing down her neck and onto her body. Everything became blurry. She couldn't make out any noise or what the things around the room were. Everything became dark. Before she passed, she felt like the woman was licking the blood off her neck.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

As soon as the plane's overhead light lit up indicating that it was safe to turn on laptops and access wifi Sam looked over at his big brother. Dean was still sitting still with his headphones on, presumably sleeping. Gently, Sam lifted his hand from Dean's and retrieved his laptop. He had work to do.

Booting up his laptop, he connected to the internet and searched news articles relating to Destin. He quickly came across a very recent article, it happened just hours before they boarded the plane. Sam read the grizzly story. Marissa Wenton, a local to Destin had been found washed up on shore. However, the police had only found half of her body. The article attributed the death to a shark attack.

Sharks didn't attack people this often, did they? Sam lost himself deep in thought. If they did attack this often then nobody would want to vacation to the ocean. What was causing all these shark attacks? Were they even shark attacks at all? Was there another cause? Sam opened his mouth to relay his questions to Dean, but stopped before any sound came out. Better to let Dean sleep through the flight. They didn't need to be rushed to a hospital due to a heart attack.

Opening another tab in his web browser, Sam searched what sharks were common to the waters of Destin on the Gulf. As he suspected, Tiger Sharks came up as the most common shark seen. However, Hammerheads and Bull Sharks were listed as well. Sam ran with the Tiger Shark theory.

Searching Tiger Sharks, Sam discovered on various websites that Tiger Sharks rarely attacked prey larger than themselves. That would rule regular human attacks out. On top of that, the websites all indicated that sharks in general had little interest in eating human. Usually an attack would occur if the victim was wearing black, surfing, or lingering around reefs too much. The most common way to attract sharks was through bleeding. Blood attracted them. Something didn't seem right about this shark attack theory. One event breaking the norm was one thing, but to have so many attacks in such a short time seemed hard to believe. They needed to get to Destin and get some research done.

When satisfied by what he had learned, Sam closed his laptop, stowed it away, and placed his hand back on Dean's. It wouldn't be much longer before they landed, just a couple hours. Sam leaned back and closed his eyes, but jolted them back open as Dean started squirming in his seat. Sam tightened his grip on Dean's hand. It was slippery and wet. He was soaking. Sam looked at his brother's face and his heart cracked. Dean's eyes moved rapidly under his closed eyelids. It looked like they were trying to open, to wake up, but for some reason sleep had him trapped.

Looking around to make sure no one was watching, Sam placed his hand on Dean's fore head. It didn't feel like he was sick. It was just moist. He ran his hand through Dean's hair almost like a mother does her child. He knew Dean was struggling with something, and he was pretty sure he knew what it was. As Sam continued to stroke Dean's hair gently, his brother began to calm down. His breathing became soft and regular again, and his eyes relaxed. A shallow smile crossed his face and Sammy knew everything would be okay. For now.

He squeezed his big brother's hand affectionately and closed his eyes again. Within minutes he had drifted to sleep next to his brother and rested peacefully for nearly the entire two hours left of the flight.

Sam startled awake. " _We now ask that all passengers return their electronical devices back to airplane mode or turn them off."_ The announcer said. _"We're now beginning our decent into Pensacola. The local time is 1:37 p.m._ " The seatbelt light overhead binged on.

He looked over at his brother. Dean was still out with the soothing music of Ozzy blasting into his ears. That was one thing that Sam would never understand about his big brother. How could he find such rough music so calming? To each his own he supposed.

As much as he hated to, Sam squeezed and shook Dean's hand a bit to wake him up. Dean slowly came back into the world of the conscious and took in his surroundings. The moment he remembered he was in a plane was physically noticeable on his face. Upset, he pulled his headphones off. "Are we there yet?"

"Yeah, we're landing now." Sam informed him.

"Good. It's about time this is over. I hate flying."

"You were sleeping the whole time, how bad could it have been?

"I hate flying, Sammy." Dean glared.

"I know." Sam chuckled.

The plane roared as it attempted to slow down as it descended onto the landing strip. The passengers shook as the plane came to a rough stop. After the plane was completely still, the flight attendants welcomed everyone to gather their belongings and exit the plane.

Dean and Sam both grabbed their duffle bags and rushed to be some of the first passengers off the plane. Dean was becoming very frustrated as they waited to reach the exit door of the plane. What could possibly be the hold up? Why does everyone stand up, rush to grab their things and then just stand still? They were so close to the door it hurt.

After several grunts and eye-rolls, the short lineup of passengers in front of the brothers began to move. As Dean and Sam walked past the flight attendant he gave them a cheery wave. "Have a nice day, gents. Enjoy Florida!"

Dean nodded his head with a quick smile and followed his brother off the plane. "That guy is too happy to be flying." Sam just shook his head and laughed.

The airport was larger than the last one. Sam assumed it was because of the large influx of tourists going to Destin. There was no airport in Destin, after all.

Dean removed his leather jacket. "It's hot here, dude."

Sam laughed, "It's Florida, dude. Of course it's hot. That's why all the old people come down here during the winter." Sam eyed his brother's duffle bag. "Please tell me you brought something lighter than leather jackets, jeans, and boots."

Dean looked blankly at his brother. "What?"

"You are going to burn alive. It's like almost 100 degrees here regularly. And super humid!"

"I guess I'll have to pick something up."

The brothers hailed a cab and were driven to Destin. The cab pulled up to what must have been the most sketchy hole-in-the-wall motel in the city. A dirty sign read _Sea Side Shack_. Dean looked at the sign. Then he looked around the area. There was no sign of the beach. If he didn't know better he would have assumed they were miles from the beach."At least they got one thing right. It is a shack."

Dean approached the counter to get a room. The man that came out was a skinny, but well-kept man who looked like he was in his thirties. He was incredibly friendly and kind of goofy, like shaggy from Scooby-Doo. As Dean talked with the manager, Sam walked over to the side of the lobby where there was a display containing several brochures for local attractions trying to draw in the business of tourists. He perused the brochures. There was a little bit of everything. There was a brochure for a bar that claimed to have the biggest television in the surrounding states. There were several advertising putt-putt courts, go-carts, and arcades. There were several for authentic fish restaurants on the shore, one for the local boardwalk, for a concert center offering live music every single night. There was a brochure for an old historic museum of Destin advertising information and the best photo spot for Saint Satan's, some old ship that got caught on a reef off shore. There were several for local beaches for swimming and some featuring dolphins. Sam understood why tourists liked coming to Destin. It seemed there was no shortage of fun around the area.

After paying for the motel with a scammed credit card, they entered their room. The walls were painted with tacky ocean scenes of waves crashing onto a white sandy beach. There were seagulls flying at the top of the walls around blue skies and a perfectly yellow circle representing the sun.

The lamps by the bed were palm trees and the light bulbs represented the coconuts. Each bed looked like it was made out of the same wood people use to make tiki torches and the bedding was a deep cerulean blue like the ocean.

Pictures hung on the wall portraying sailboats on gorgeous still waters and dolphins swimming along the bay. Dean and Sam stood a second, soaking it all in.

"Could be worse." Dean joked.

Sam laughed. "If you say so. I'm not sure I need to go to the beach. I think I've had enough here."

They laid their duffle bags down on their beds and took a second to rest.

"I'm going to go do some shopping. I'll see if I can't score us some suits and weapons. Why don't you see about figuring out where we need to go and who we need to talk to?" Dean said.

"Yeah, okay." Sam agreed. Dean opened the door to leave, but Sam caught him before he left. "Dean..." Dean looked at him, eyebrows raised in anticipation, waiting for Sammy to finish his sentence.

"Yeah?" He finally asked, sounding a bit impatient.

"Are you... " He hesitated, trying to find the right way to ask this without agitating his brother. "Are you okay?" Sam asked. He mentally kicked himself in the butt. _That's the best you could come up with?_

"I'm fine." Dean answered flatly.

"Really?"

"Why wouldn't I be?" Dean sounded a bit irritated and defensive.

Sam sighed. He could already tell it was a mistake bringing this up. "You toss and turn in your sleep. You're always sweaty. You just don't seem _you_."

"Well I _am_ me." Dean said sharply, his words trying to cut the conversation off before it got somewhere more uncomfortable than it already had.

"You were a demon." Sam said, his voice soft, trying to tip-toe into the topic. "That's not something you forget."

"Yeah, well I'm dealing." His words a wall, trying to keep Sammy out.

"I see that, but it's eating you up inside." Sam tried to keep calm, not angry. Not irritated. Dean never responded well to those.

"I'm fine." Dean yelled, cutting the conversation off. Sam flinched at his booming voice. For just a second, Dean could see that he had upset Sam, but his little brother quickly put on his game face again and nodded at Dean, backing off. Dean had won this one, if you could call it that. "Call me if you find something." He turned to close the door and sighed. He knew his brother was only trying to help. He was only trying to care for him. But it was annoying! He was fine... or so he kept telling himself. He turned back and popped his head back into the room. "Or if you want me to pick you up something. A snack? A drink? Porn?" Dean smirked, but Sam just feigned a smile and waved his brother off.

Dean left the motel with an awful pain in his stomach. Not a physical pain. More like a tight knot of emotion, from his fight with Sam. It almost made it hard to breathe, but Dean kept reminding himself it was all in his head. There was no real pain and breathing wasn't actually any harder. _We fight all the time. When I get back we'll be all good again._ He was lying to himself and he knew it. Sammy didn't let things like this go. Any problem that was Dean's was surely on the top list of Sammy's concerns too. They were definitely brothers. He hated worrying Sam so much.

Dean looked around. He was in friggin' Florida! Sun was up. Sky was blue. He dared smile a bit. This was exactly what he and Sammy needed. A nice vacation somewhere different than their usual hangouts. So what if there was some work to be done? So what if they argued a bit? That's what brother's do! This would be great!

In the back of his head, he knew this was no normal brothers' argument. This would come back, and Dean wasn't sure he was ready to face it. There were things he had done that he never wanted Sammy to know. He couldn't know. He wouldn't look at him the same again... Dean shook his head, trying to force the thoughts away and replace them with cheap smiles. He was on vacation, after all...

As soon as Dean was out of the room, Sammy went to the motel office and used their printer. He printed a phone number out, returned to the room, and pulled out his cell phone to make a call he didn't really want to make. The phone rang before Dr. Dave Burns answered. Sam didn't really want to talk about Dean to a doctor. He knew Dean would just get pissed, but it seemed necessary. Fortunately, Dr. Burns was a hunter and was in the-know on supernatural creatures and issues. "Hi, Dr. Burns?" Sammy asked.

" _Yes, this is Dr. Dave Burns, can I help you?"_

"Hi, this is Sam Winchester –"

 _"As in John Winchester?"_

"Yeah, I'm his son."

 _"Older or younger?"_

"Younger." Sam appreciated that he wanted to make small talk, but he really just wanted to get to the point. The longer he was on the phone, the higher the chance of Dean finding out.

 _"Good to hear from you. I haven't seen you since you were just a small kid."_ The doctor chuckled a bit at his memories. _"Is there something I can help you with?"_

"Yeah, actually. My older brother." Sam led into a deep conversation. He explained the whole of their experiences over the years, starting at Sam's death from the knife in his back, to Dean making the deal with the crossroads demon, all the way to Dean being a demon himself. He explained how it seemed like Dean was drowning in guilt and how he would get lost in his nightmares, even during the day time.

The doctor listened carefully and considered everything Sammy was saying, asking pointed questions along the way. After the long conversation, Dr. Burns gave Sammy the bad news. _" I hate to have to be the bearer of bad news, but it really sounds like you need to get Dean in to see me. I think some one-on-one therapy could really help him clear his mind and conscience."_

Sam rolled his eyes and smirked at his bad fortune. "Unfortunately, I can't bring Dean in. We're stuck in Florida on a hunt."

 _"Oh. I see."_ The phone was silent for a moment. _"You need to be careful Sam. Keep an eye on your brother."_

"I am, doctor. He's stubborn, but I keep my eyes on him." Sam's voice came out quieter than he intended. "Is Dean in danger?"

 _"Possibly. As I'm sure you know, going to Hell is not something someone gets over. Ever. It may seem like a thing of the past, but memories of traumatic experiences haunt people the rest of their lives. Even when they seem to have passed, all it takes is for one event to re-spark the traumatic memories and then they're alive again. In this case, it's possible that being a demon has reignited Dean's memories of Hell."_

"So he's dealing with his memories of Hell? The guilt he experienced for the things he did down there?" Sam asked, a bit confused.

 _"That's part of it, but you can't ignore the new guilt either. He was a demon. Obviously you and I haven't had the same experiences, but I'm sure you can imagine the guilt he must be experiencing from living the life a demon lives."_

"I know it's not easy for him. I can see it in him every second of every day. Even when he's sleeping, he's living his guilt-ridden nightmare." Sam's voice dripped concern and the doctor could tell.

 _"Try not to get worried, Sam. We'll get Dean taken care of as best as possible."_

"What can I do?"

 _"The concern is that Dean drowns in his guilt. It sounds like these nightmares are consuming him. Especially if he's having them during his waking hours as well. If he continues to be filled with this guilt, he could be lost to his memories. He could literally get lost living in a memory of the terrible things he's done and experienced."_

"How's that possible?" Sam asked. "To get lost in a memory?"more beautiful as the ocean

 _"The mind's a fragile thing, Sam. It can get confused, damaged, and tricked. His mind is damaged and it is being confused by his guilt. He's not dealt with his guilt and trauma, but his mind is trying to. If he continues to refuse to cope with his guilt, then his mind will continue to try to do it without his will. Going on like that wears a mind down, until it breaks. At that point, he may be lost reliving those terrible experiences, unable to deal with them. We don't want that."_

Sam's throat felt like it had a large rock stuck in it, so he swallowed hard. "So if I get him to cope with his guilt, to deal with it, he could be okay?"

 _"In theory. Like I said, the mind is a tricky thing. Without talking to him directly, this is the best I can give you. Just keep an eye on him, talk with him, make sure he isn't left alone. People in his place often consider suicide. Don't give him the opportunity. Seriously, Sam. I think you need to consider sending him to me. He sounds like he needs real help. He can stay in our psych ward. We provide top grade help."_

"You think he'd kill himself?" Sam asked almost in a panic. "You think he needs to be put away in a psych ward, like some crazy person?

 _"I'm not saying he's a crazy person. I'm saying he has the potential to be, and neither of us want that. As far as suicide, I don't know him. I'm just saying it's not uncommon. So be careful."_

"Thanks, doc." Sam said a bit peeved at the suggestion of Dean being in a psych ward, "I'll keep an eye on him."

 _"Call any hour. I'm here to help."_

"Thanks. Really." Sam hung up and decided it was time to get to work. He had to show some progress so that Dean didn't wonder what he was doing the whole time he was gone. As he moved over to his laptop, he wondered if a psych ward was a good idea for Dean. _Would he really kill himself? Would he really refuse to forgive himself to the point of losing his own mind?_ Sam normally wouldn't have given the idea of someone losing their mind to their own guilt a second thought. It seemed too ridiculous, but they lived ridiculous, and Dean was the most stubborn person on this earth. If there was anyone that would deny himself forgiveness to the point of going insane, it was Dean. Sam tore off the section of the paper with Dr. Burns' number on it and sighed, sticking it in his jeans' pocket. _Life is never easy, huh?_


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

The Tiki Torch Tavern was an open-walled establishment that looked a lot like a primitive hut made out of bamboo and grass. Tiki torches lined the entrance on the beach and were scattered around the "inside" near the bar, which was under a roof made to look like it was made of tropical grass.

In the center, just beyond the bar was a small stage with a microphone and room for some instruments if needed. The ocean could easily be seen from the various seats scattered around under the pavilion and tables for eating. A few locals lounged as they drank and waited for the performer to return to stage for her next number.

Leon and Cassie, employees of the fine establishment, worked as the tourist appeal. They led scuba diving tours of the deep ocean. They would take groups of vacationers out in scuba gear to explore what lives in the ocean.

Today was a small group, just a couple families on an early vacation and a couple locals that were just looking for something to do. One of the families had a daughter that had just entered high school who was nearly squealing she was so excited to swim with dolphins, hoping one would approach her to be petted.

"You ready for this?" Cassie asked her older brother.

"Yeah, anything to get my mind off of Chester."

"It hasn't even been three weeks. If you don't want to I'll walk away with you right now. Screw these guys."

"No, I think it's better to keep busy." Leon said smiling weakly at his sister.

"Okay, I'll meet you back here."

Leon approached the group of paying customers and stood on one of the chairs intended for the customers enjoying the bar's food and drinks. "Okay everyone, listen up! All you scuba diving, if you're a lady, follow my lovely assistant Cassie to the woman's changing room to get prepared for going out. If you're a dude, you're with me."

With that, the crowds separated by sex and followed the siblings to the locker rooms just several meters down the beach. Leon led the men into the men's changing side.

"Grab a scuba suit and I'll help you put them on." he explained to the men. The guys did as they were told and grabbed one of the scuba suits off the rack by the door. Leon went around the room ensuring all the men had their suits on properly, that their air canisters were filled, and that the suit looked functional. Once all the men were ready, he handed them flippers from a box in the corner of the room and directed them to wait outside.

Once alone, Leon grabbed his personal scuba suit. It was significantly more expensive and higher quality than the ones they gave to the customers. His was fit personally for him and had an awesome neon yellow line that darted down both sides of the suit, starting at his armpits and traveling down the outsides of his legs. Making sure nobody was around, Leon placed his cell phone in his locker, stripped his swimsuit off and stood naked in the room for a moment. _You can do this._ _Nothing's going to happen. We know how to handle sharks if any do show up, and that's a big if._

Having motivated himself he pulled his scuba suit on over his naked body. It always felt more comfortable without a swimsuit to get bunched up under it. He looked at himself in the mirror. He was short, so he had to do some maneuvering on his tippy-toes to get a good look at his whole body since the mirror was elevated off the ground. Everything looked good. No holes in the suit. Nothing looked out of the ordinary. Nodding at himself he walked out to meet the customers and Cassie.

She was already outside waiting for him.

"Everything okay?" She asked.

"Yup. We're all good."

"This way!" she shouted, waving her hand and heading to a pontoon boat they owned. The sun was bright in the sky and most people held their hands at their foreheads to block the sun from their eyes since they couldn't wear sunglasses with the scuba masks.

Once everyone was on the pontoon, Leon drove it out to the same small reef they always took the customers. It was the best place to ensure that they would see sea creatures and plants, but it was small enough that there were rarely any sharks or large jellyfish around. The water was calm and blue today. It was hard to see with all the sunlight reflecting off the water. The entire ride was a little awkward as he found the young high school girl staring longingly at him. He was certainly not the jock type, but he was fit from years of swimming. He and Cassie had both been blessed with "cute looks" as their friends had always put it. That was one way to describe their baby faces and short heights. They both looked a few years younger than they really were and had gorgeous blue eyes. This wasn't the first time a customer had looked at one of them like this.

Leon spotted the rock that just barely reached over the water's surface and knew they had arrived. As the pontoon came to a stop, Cassie began instructing the customers on how to place their scuba masks on properly. As she helped them put them on, Leon went along after her ensuring that they were properly in place and hooked to oxygen.

The boat rocked in the small waves. The quiet sound of the water lapping against the edge of the pontoon reminded Leon why he loved this life. There was nothing he could think of more beautiful and relaxing than the ocean. Such thoughts are probably the effects of growing up in a beach town.

"Is everybody ready?" Cassie shouted as she pulled her mask down. Leon's and Cassie's masks had communicators in them so they could talk to each other and to the customers, but the customers could only hear. They could not speak back. They were taught hand gestures in order to convey simple messages while under the water.

The group gave the "thumbs up" gesture, just as they were taught, to say "yes". With that Cassie jumped in the water and treaded at the top as Leon aided the customers into the water. Once all were in, Leon jumped in behind them all and prepared himself for another day's work. At least it was work he enjoyed.

Cassie and Leon led the team under water to enjoy some adventure. The team swam deeper and deeper underwater until they were nearly 150 feet down. The legal limit was 130 feet, but Cassie and Leon just assumed no one was measuring. The reefs were at the ocean floor here. No one would be satisfied if they only took them partially down to them. They had to go all the way.

Leon loved the feeling of being under the water. He felt weightless. He always brought up the rear, ensuring everyone made it to the reef safely. As Cassie showed the people to the reef, Leon paused, just to soak it all in. He was now the eldest brother. Cassie was his responsibility. She had no one else. Just him. He had to take care of her.

He lingered a while, just enjoying the calmness of the water, watching his sister lead the group around. Beams of light shimmered around him from the sun above. He looked down at his sister who was watching the customers and pointing them toward any interesting sea life they would want to see. After calming himself, he proceeded down to the reef as well.

The reef was gorgeous, just as it was every time they swam down here. There was fish life of every kind. Bright fish, dark fish, big fish, small fish. There was sea weed that looked like it was dancing in the current. Fish swam peacefully around and through the reef, feeling totally safe amongst the humans.

The reef itself looked like it was from another planet, or from the lost city of Atlantis. While lots of the rock looked natural, in the center was what looked like an old shrine. It reminded Leon of pictures he'd seen of old Aztec or Mayan temples. It had ornate decorative designs carved into the rocks, but unfortunately the years of being lost under the sea had taken its toll. The designs were fading and algae was covering lots of what was once beautiful enough to pass as a holy shrine or altar for a religious group. In the center of the large stone altar or whatever, rested seashells. Lots and lots of seashells. Neither Leon nor Cassie knew anything about the reef, but they loved taking customers here, always giving the instructions that no one touches anything. It all seemed too sacred to be touched, for some reason.

The customers swam around taking in sights they had never seen before. Cassie worked to make sure that the group stayed close enough together that she could give any assistance as needed. Leon swam around the reef, a bit away from the group to see if he could spot any dolphins for the group to witness.

Nothing. The water beyond the reef was empty. Dead. Not even a fish. It was odd not even to find a fish in the area. Leon looked around, below, and above. Nothing.

He was startled as a shrill gasp blared through the communicator in his scuba mask. "Oh my gosh! Leon get over here!" Cassie screamed into the mask.

Leon turned around and headed toward the reef. Immediately, he could see that something was wrong. The sea life had all fled. There was a flurry of bubbles and sand all around as people swam rapidly around in response to Cassie.

"She's bleeding Leon, hurry."

Leon swam over to Cassie and investigated. It was the high school girl. She had several cuts on her leg and blood was spreading into the blue sea. Her father had wrapped his arms around her in protection. The girl was panicking.

"We need to get her to the boat, Leon." Cassie explained.

Suddenly, some of the customers began waving their arms frantically and drawing the attention of everyone else to a couple silhouettes approaching. Leon looked in the direction they pointed.

Sharks.

"Everyone, we need to swim to the boat. Swim quickly, but calmly." Leon explained. "Sir, please swim to the surface, I'll take your daughter up as quickly as I can. She's going to be okay."

Reluctantly, the father let go of his daughter, but refused to swim ahead without her. Leon wrapped one arm around the girl and began swimming toward the surface, taxiing her along. "Don't worry. You're going to be okay. Everyone's going to be okay."

Leon swam with the girl ahead of the group, glancing back at the sharks. They were definitely headed their way. Blood continued to seep from the girl's leg and spread through the water. "My name's Leon. I've been swimming for a long time and no shark has ever caught me. So don't you worry!"

Cassie led the rest of the group behind Leon, and directed them a bit off to the side and out of the trail of blood. She glanced back to make sure that no one was being left behind. There was no one behind her, just two sharks. And another figure. Was that a person? No, it couldn't be. Everyone was accounted for with her and Leon. Turning, she continued to encourage the divers as they swam to the boat.

Leon glanced back and saw the sharks were gaining on them quickly. Leon glanced at the girl and saw her crying eyes through her mask. "You're going to be fine." He encouraged her and swam with all his strength.

Cassie watched as Leon and the girl pulled further ahead of the group. He was a stronger swimmer than her and she was glad that he had taken the girl. The sharks were now even with the group, but uninterested. They were headed up for the source of the blood. The girl.

Leon saw the sharks only about twenty feet behind them and reached up for the partly submerged ladder attached to the pontoon. He directed the girl onto the ladder and practically shoved her up out of the water and pulled himself up right behind her, only daring a quick downward glance. The sharks were within arm's length as he emerged out of the water onto the boat.

"Hold up, Cassie. They're by the boat." He informed his little sister.

"I see them, bring the boat a little east, out of the blood and we'll get on."

"Roger."

Cassie led the group up to where Leon had parked the boat and they began climbing on at a safe distance from the sharks. They were swimming circles around where the blood had been from the girl's wound. As the last customer climbed on the boat, Cassie glanced back down toward the reef, which was too far away to make out. She saw a dark figure swimming quickly below her. It looked like it was getting bigger. Like it was swimming at her. Not risking anything, she grabbed the ladder and raced up onto the boat.

With the adventure behind them, everyone removed their scuba masks and sighed a huge sigh of relief. Leon's watch began playing a fun little ringtone he assigned to his grandmother. He rolled up his sleeve, revealing his fancy UWatch, and checked his grandma's message. She wanted to have dinner with Cassie and him tonight. He spoke to his watch. "Reply. We'll be over at your place as soon as we're off work." The message was sent.

"Is that one of those neat watches that connect to the internet?" one of the men from the trip asked.

Leon looked up at the man, as he always had to because of his short stature. "Yeah it is. It's nice since I can't fit my phone in my wetsuit. I keep it in case we have an emergency where we need to call out to help immediately." He explained. "Plus, it's just cool."

"I wanna' get one." the man said.

"It's worth it."

Leon turned his attention back to his driving. He was steering the boat back to shore as Cassie tended to the girl's wound. They weren't terribly serious. Just a slice on her leg, but such a small wound could be dangerous in the water. The worst part was the sharks the blood could bring. _That was too close,_ Leon thought. _What's going on with the ocean these days?_

The pontoon made it safely back to the Tiki Torch Tavern and the customers proceeded to changing back into their clothes. Some trying to calm down from a near heart attack experience, while others went on talking about how that was the coolest thing they had ever experienced. Leon and Cassie just looked at each other. That was too close.

After the customers had left, Leon went to the changing room and sat on the bench. What was going on? They'd never heard of so much shark activity before. This was insane. Something was going on and he wanted to know what. He felt like he was in the movie script for Jaws, or Deep Blue.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Dean walked out of The Sandbox Shop, a convenient beachwear outlet for tourists. Dressed in pale blue swim shorts that reached halfway down his thighs, a white tank top featuring three stripes running horizontally across behind the silhouette of a palm tree, brown leather flip-flops, and aviator sunglasses. Not only did he feel like a tourist enjoying a vacation, he looked like one too. He carried a large bag featuring a shirtless male model on one side and a bikini clad gal on the other, which contained beach clothes for his gargantuan brother. Hopefully he estimated the sizes properly.

As he walked down the beach road, Dean passed several clothing shops, surf shops, and restaurants. Dean kept his eyes open for any stores in which he could procure some weapons. Obviously there were no gun stores in a tourist trap like Destin, but he did see a fishing store.

Walking into the fishing store, Dean saw fishing rods lining the wall, aisles and aisles containing various hooks, lures, bait, and other fishing tools. He smiled and nodded at the old weathered man behind the counter as he headed to the back wall where a case of large knives rested. The intended purpose of the knives was probably for skinning, gutting, and filleting fish, but Dean had other things in mind.

He looked at the various knives and chose several from within the case. "Can I get some of these?" Dean asked across the room, gesturing toward the case.

"Yessir." the man said as he headed over to Dean. "Which ones?"

Dean pointed out a couple knives from the case and the man unlocked the case and grabbed them for him. Dean took each knife, one at a time, and felt the weight. Both seemed like nice, big knives. They should be perfect for what the brothers needed.

Feeling the knife in his hand, Dean felt a comfortable darkness invade his mind. He often used knives like these ones, sometimes bigger. Some with serrated edges. He watched as he sat beside a man who had made a deal with a crossroad's demon. It was Dean's job to fulfill the contract. He was to kill the man's cheating wife. For some reason, Dean didn't like this man. Something about him was slimy, wimpy, pathetic. Things Dean didn't like in a man. Flashing his Hell-black eyes, Dean grinned fiendishly, and jabbed the large knife in his hand slowly and carelessly into the man's chest. The man screamed out and clenched up in pain. He looked Dean in the eyes, betrayed, as he bled out in the car. Dean only smiled. Something about wasting men like him was relaxing. Took the stress out of the world.

A concerned voice snapped Dean out of his memories. "Sir...? Sir, are you okay?"

Dean closed his eyes tightly and opened them up widely, trying to refocus on the real world. He finally met the man in his eyes. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine. Sorry. Just got lost thinking about something." Dean smirked, trying to play it all off as innocent. The man just gave him an odd look and smiled, walking back to the cash register.

After paying for the knives with the last of his poker cash, Dean thanked the man and left the store. After stopping by the outlet mall down the street and getting a couple plain, cheap suits, he decided it was high time to head back to the motel. Sammy probably had a plan spelled out for them now and was hopefully over the argument. It was time to get to work.

Sam was staring into his laptop screen when he heard the motel door open. Looking up, he saw Dean march in, hands full of shopping bags. "What's this? A shopping spree? And what are you wearing?"

Dean looked down at himself. Sammy had a point. He couldn't remember the last time he wore a tank top, outside of fixing the car, and he didn't think he'd ever worn shorts that only reached his mid-thigh. Whatever, he was on vacation... sort of! "Shut up, I got you stuff too." Dean teased as he held the clothing bag up.

"Got me what stuff?" Sam asked a bit concerned. "Did you get me shorty shorts? You know I've been wanting some."

Dean waved the bag in the air and tossed it onto Sam's bed. "On your long hairy legs any pair of shorts look like shorty shorts." Dean teased. "Geez you're tall." Sam smirked and got up from his laptop and headed over to the bag and searched through its contents. He pulled out a thin, pink tank top, and white board shorts.

"What's this? These are kinda... apple pie vacation for you. Are you feeling alright?"

"When in Rome!" Dean exclaimed, raising his hands in the air and smiling.

"Anyway, these will work for what I have in mind." Sam said. "I'll change and we'll get going." Sam headed toward the bathroom with his new beach clothes in hand.

Changing into the board shorts he realized his brother was right. What would normally hang lower than the average man's knees were still a couple inches above his. _I'm taller than I give myself credit for._ He smirked. Whatever, they would have to do. At least Dean got the waist size right. Dean would have never admitted it, but he was more of a domestic engineer than he knew. It was always he that kept the fridge stocked with all the essentials, he that made sure their clothes were clean and properly folded, he kept the car running, and he apparently knew his little brother's waist and shirt size. Sam put his flip flops on. _And he knows my shoe size..._ Sam laughed a bit to himself. _I'm impressed._ A loud bang on the bathroom door startled Sam back to his senses.

"What's taking you so long? Need help tying the drawstring?" Dean asked. Sam smiled, knowing his brother was smiling on the other side. "Where are we going anyway?"

Sam opened the door, finding Dean standing right outside, hand raised in the air like he was just about to knock again. "The beach."

Dean's eyes lit up. "Great."


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Dean and Sam arrived at the beach where the websites had said the most recent two shark attacks had supposedly happened. There were very few people at the beach. It was hard to tell if the people present were tourists or locals. Either way, the beach was pretty sparse.

Dean kicked his flip-flops off and buried his feet into the snow-white sand. "Oh man, Sammy! It's not even hot! The sand is actually cool!"

Sam followed his big brother's lead and removed his sandals. The sand was actually very comfortable on his skin. He looked out on the beach. There was a couple lounging on beach chairs, clad in swimsuits, just soaking up the sun. A family played in the clear water close to shore. A couple kids built a sandcastle on the edge of the water. It all looked so nice...so normal. It was like there was no fear of sharks at all. It was just like _Jaws_ had shown. No one cared about the shark attacks.

"Last one in is a rotten egg!" Dean shouted, throwing his tank top under his flip-flops and sprinting goofily toward the water. Sam shook his head, smiled, and removed his tank top, placed his bag with his laptop on the ground, and ran to join his brother in the ocean.

Dean splashed into the water. It was so warm! He finally understood why everyone always wanted to vacation to Florida. He had never seen the appeal himself. Oceans and beaches just weren't his thing, at least, not until he was so deprived of any "me time" by the whole hunting gig. Nowadays, any excuse for a vacation seemed like a nice one.

Sam came up beside his brother in the emerald water and stared out to sea. It was hard to believe that just hours earlier the police were pulling the body of Marissa out of the water. It was hard to believe that someone had just lost their life here. It didn't look like it. He guessed that in a tourist trap, the show must go on, no matter what. The economy depended on it.

"So what are we doing here?" Dean asked.

"Looking for anything that might be considered a clue. Anything odd. Anything that looks out of place."

"Like?"

"That's the problem," Sam sighed heavily, "I'm not sure. Beaches are so not our thing. I figured we could walk up and down the beach and see if we come across anything that looks strange. You know, like old rocks with inscriptions on them, any strange formations, or any locals that may know something about the recent 'shark attacks'."

"Sounds good to me. Like shooting targets in the dark. But at least the dark is actually a gorgeous, warm beach. We're not gonna' find anything just walking randomly." Dean said.

"Yeah, but it can't hurt. You never know what we might come across. Besides, it gives you a chance to enjoy the beach a bit."

"Can't argue with that." Dean smirked as he splashed water at Sam. They spent a few minutes enjoying the water. Relaxing was something they rarely got to do.

Satisfied, they moved back onto the sandy beach, stuffed their tank tops and sandals into Sam's laptop bag, and began their patrol, searching for anything that seemed like it could be linked to unnatural or supernatural events. From any other person's perspective, they would just look like two guys enjoying the sun on the beach, but they were this town's last defense against a possible monstrous or demonic threat. Or they were on a wild goose chase. They weren't really sure.

They walked the entirety of the beach, all the way to the Tiki Torch Tavern and headed inside. Dean's eyes lit up. This was his kind of dive. The fresh open breeze flowed into the bar area since there were no actual walls. Just poles holding up the large canopy roof overhead. The floor was white sand and the bar looked like it had anything you'd ever want.

The brothers took a seat in front of the stage where it looked like someone performed at times. Sam pulled out his laptop and opened a map of the area. He marked on the map the area where the two most recent shark attacks had happened. Marissa Wenton had died just off the shore about a quarter of a mile back where they started from the bar. A guy named Chester Sonova died just off the shore right next to the bar.

"These attacks occurred really close together, within a half a mile." Sam explained, showing his brother the map on which he had marked the death locations.

"Yeah, where did the other ones occur? Do we know?"

"I don't know. I can't find any sources that show the locations. I just know they were on this beach, but that's a long beach."

"Do you think a local may know?" Dean asked.

"It's possible." Sam answered. A short, thin girl approached the table. Dean looked her up and down and liked what he saw. She was a cutie. A small, petite kinda' gal. Sam was pretty sure that if he stood up, she wouldn't even reach his chest. Heck, she might not even reach Dean's chest. She had straight dirty-blonde hair that reached just below her shoulder, sharp blue eyes, and wore a cute white sundress over what looked like a sky-blue bikini. "The name's Cassie. Can I get you anything to eat or to drink? We have an excellent Mai Tai and our fried grouper is the best in town."

"Hey Cassie. I'll take a beer, whichever your favorite is, and I'll try the grouper." Dean said. "He'll take a Mai Tai and whatever salad you have." Sam glared at Dean.

"Okay, I'll be right out with those." she said as she headed over to the bar.

"A Mai Tai? Really, Dean?" Sam whispered harshly.

"You love girly stuff at bars." Dean said, ignoring his brother's protest.

Cassie returned carrying one Blue Moon beer from the tap and a Mai Tai with a colorful tropical flower resting on the top of the glass. "Here ya' go boys."

"Thank you." Dean said, rubbing his hands together in anticipation. It was so hot he thought he would die if he didn't drink something soon!

"Hey, Cassie" Sam started, "we're actually here investigating the recent shark attacks that have been occurring."

"Oh yeah, terrible things." she said, her eyes tearing up a bit.

"So we've heard, is this many shark attacks in such a short time and such a close proximity at all normal?"

"Not at all. I've lived here my whole life, been working at this bar for several years too. I've never seen anything like this." she answered.

"Would you be able to tell us where these shark attacks occurred, so we can get accurate information for our research?"

"Well, I know one happened just out there." Cassie explained, pointing at the sea just outside of the bar. "The other one that was near here was just a bit down the beach, that direction." She pointed back to where the brothers had come from.

"What about the other five that happened over the last month or so?" Dean asked.

"Well, I'm not as sure..." she explained. "I'm pretty sure they happened just down the beach as well. The Beach Patrol has had the purple flag up at the beach entrance for over a month now."

"The purple flag?" Dean asked.

"It's their way of letting the tourists and locals know the conditions of the water." Sam explained.

"Yeah, purple means there's dangerous wildlife in the area. Like sharks or jellyfish." she said. "We get Tiger sharks, hammerheads, and even Portuguese Man of Wars."

"Are those jellyfish?" Dean asked.

"Yeah, big ones."

"Are they dangerous?"

"Yeah, especially for little children. If you get hospital aid you should be fine." she told them, "but it'll hurt like hell." She smiled.

"So, where could we go to find out the specific locations of these recent shark attacks?" Sam asked.

"I'm not really sure. I suppose you could go to the Sheriff's Office. It's the police that pull the dead bodies, or what's left of them, out of the water. I'd start there. You might also be able to find out at the Beach Patrol Office, but I'm not positive on that one."

"Okay, great. We'll start there." Sam said. "Thanks."

"No problem. Sorry I couldn't help more." she apologized. "I'll go grab your food. I'm sure it's ready."

She headed off toward the bar with a smile. Dean leaned into Sam. "I know where we're heading tomorrow morning."

"Yeah, the Sheriff's Office."

Cassie returned with a hot plate of fried grouper and a cute salad with another tropical flower on top. "Here ya' go."

"Thanks!" Dean said through a wide grin. "Looks delicious."

"Let me know if you need anything." Cassie said as she headed back off to help other customers.

Dean took a bite of the grouper. "This is fantastic! How's the salad?"

Sam looked at his plate of greens. "Looks fine."

After their evening at the Tiki Torch Tavern, the brothers made their way back to their motel. Once back, Dean rummaged through their shopping bags and pulled out a couple of cheap suits that would help them pull off the role of Investigators from the State Bureau of Environmental Protection dealing with the shark attacks. "Ready for a big day tomorrow?" Dean asked.

"Another day of work." Sam answered.

"You're doing the ironing."

They spent the rest of the evening mulling over shark facts, local legends- which there were nearly none of, ironing their suits, and getting the lay of the land. Once night came they both promptly went to bed to get an early start in the morning.

Sam tried to ignore the groans and mumbles from Dean's bed. The room was dark, but he could make out the shape of Dean thrashing about in bed. Sam stared at Dean, desperate to fix him, but unsure how. He couldn't bear watching his brother suffer so much. Sam knew that whatever Dean had done during his time as a demon was eating him up. But how do you get someone like Dean to talk about that? Besides that, what can someone say to make it all better? Sam sighed. He knew he wouldn't sleep well tonight. Not with his mind racing at a thousand miles per second. He lay back down, trying to make the world fade away. These were problems that would need to be dealt with at another time A time that wasn't the middle of the night.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Aquarius left work and changed into something more alluring for his next meal. As he made his way down the beach, he saw a middle-aged woman walking her dog. She would be perfect.

Wearing just a well-fitted pair of khaki shorts, he approached the woman. He smiled as he walked up to her. "What a magnificent dog! Does he have a name?"

The woman stopped and pulled her dog in for Aquarius to pet it. "She's a girl actually, and her name is Madison."

"She's such a good dog." Aquarius said in his best baby voice. He hated animals. But he had to play the part just right if he wanted to win.

"Yeah. I couldn't find a better lil' baby out there if I tried." the woman said through a kissy face directed at the pup.

"The name's Mark." Aquarius introduced himself, offering his hand.

She shook it. "Beverly."

"Great to meet you Beverly." he smiled. Beverly stood with her eyes lingering on him, venturing up and down his toned body, which looked just around the same age as she was.

"So, are you from around here?" she asked.

Aquarius grinned slightly. He had her on his lure. Right where he wanted her. "Yes, actually. I just moved here recently."

"Oh, really? How nice!" she said.

"How about you? Are you from around here?

"Yup, been here for several years now. I think almost 20 years."

"Wow!" he gasped, faking it. "So with your expertise, what would you say is something I need to experience?"

She laughed. "You've done it! I tell everyone the beach. Walking on the shore. Lounging in the sand. Swimming in the water. Destin beaches are the best beaches in the world!"

"Sounds like you love it here."

She laughed hard, showing her laugh lines. "Oh, I do! I think you will too!"

"I know I will, if you show me." Aquarius flirted. He knew he had her.

She smiled widely, like a high school girl that just received a love letter from the boy she liked. "Okay. Yeah, I'd love to!"

He took her hands. She flinched, as if a little unsure of whether she should play hard-to-get or just give in. She rested on just giving in and smiled at the gorgeous man before her. "Walk on the beach. Check. Tan skin, I guess you've lounged on the beach. Check." She smiled. "I guess all that's left is a swim in the ocean."

Beverly pulled a ball from her pocket and tossed it into the ocean. Madison bolted off after it. Kicking off her shoes, she grabbed Aquarius' hands and pulled him into the water with her.

With Beverly's hand in his, Aquarius swam her further out into the water. Before she knew it, she couldn't feel the ground with her feet. She didn't mind. She was safe in his big arms.

Aquarius wrapped his arms around Beverly and kissed the back of her neck. She relaxed and fell back into him. She reached back and pulled her hair over her shoulder, clearly exposing the back of her neck and shoulder.

Aquarius licked his lips. Her skin looked so delicious. He couldn't wait to sink his teeth in. He could feel his heart racing as he prepared to take her.

After one last kiss, Aquarius submerged himself under water. Beverly faltered and had to regain her treading over water. She looked around for Mark, who wasn't holding onto her anymore. Where could he have gone? She was alone.

"Mark! Mark!?" she screamed. Madison came swimming over to her. "Where is he baby?" Madison just stared at her and whimpered.

Aquarius watched the woman and her dog from below. The sun glimmered down through the water. He worried that the light would expose him if she looked hard enough for him.

Madison barked and barked, acting as if there was something threatening around. Beverly glanced around worried. Was there a shark? She didn't see any fins or anything. Everything seemed calm and peaceful.

Aquarius glared up at the dog. He hated animals. He lunged up to the surface with all his might.

Beverly turned around as she heard Madison yelp and get pulled under water. She swam to where Madison was. "Madison! Madison! Where are you sweetie?!"

Nothing. Not even commotion in the water. Just silence and stillness.

Suddenly, Beverly noticed a red spot in the water where she was swimming. Her heart began racing. A scream made its way out of her mouth just before she got pulled under. She tried to scream, but water filled her mouth. She looked down and saw a monstrous figure pulling her down by her ankle. Was it Mark? She couldn't tell. She stared with fear as it sank its sharp teeth into her leg and began eating her. The last thing she saw was the cloud of blood enveloping her in the water.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Dean and Sam walked through the front door of the Destin Sheriff's Office wearing their cheap suits, hoping to get some answers regarding the locations of the deaths. The office was plain and uninteresting visually. The floor was grey linoleum with white brick walls all around. The windows were plain and the overhead lighting was sourced from large industrial fluorescent lights. In the corners of the room near the front door were small potted trees that looked a lot like small palm trees; one in each corner.

The brothers marched confidently to the front desk. "Hi there. We have an appointment with Sheriff..." Sam quickly opened his pocket-size notebook to find the name.

"Summers?" the receptionist asked. She was a short, slightly over-weight white-haired, elderly woman in a blue cop uniform. Her hair was done up in a messy bun. The nametag pinned to her shirt said Karen Sonova.

"Yes, thank you... umm... Officer Sonova." Sam said, trying to pronounce the name appropriately.

"And your name is?" she asked.

"Sorry. This is my colleague Laurence Smithson, and I'm Chuck Manders. We've been brought in from southern state. We're staying in the Sea Side Shack." Sam introduced them. Dean smiled, waved, and mouthed "Hello" to the woman. The brothers flashed a couple well-made fake I.D.s with bold SBEP lettering across them. They looked incredibly official.

Karen smiled and looked at her computer screen. "Right, here you are. Meeting with the Investigators from the State Bureau of Environmental Protection. I'll inform the sheriff that you're here."

She picked up the phone next to her on her desk and pressed a quick dial button and waited. After a few seconds she perked up. "Hello Sheriff, there's a couple Investigators from the State Bureau of Environmental Protection here to see you... yessir... yessir, I'll send 'em right in."

Placing the phone back on the desk, she turned to Sam and Dean. "You're all set. You're going to want to head right through the door to your right." She pointed to their right at a doorway that looked like it led to a hallway. "He's the last door on the right. He's waiting for you. Door's open."

"Thank you." Sam said giving her a polite wave and smile before heading toward the hallway with Dean. The hallway was as business as they had ever seen. Nothing decorative at all. Just a bench for sitting, a water cooler, and a window at the end of the hallway were illuminated by harsh florescent lights built into the plain roof above.

"Charming." Dean said eyeing the hallway. They walked down the hall and found the door just as Karen had said it would be: open.

"Come on in." The sheriff said boisterously as he stood up and gestured the brothers to a couple of chairs in front of his desk. The man was tall. Taller than Sam. Dean feared he may hurt his neck if he had to look up at the man too long. The sheriff wore a different suit than all the other cops. He wore just a plain brown business suit. He had already removed the jacket and thrown it over a hat hanger in the corner of the small office. Dean didn't blame him. It was hot as hell in here. Dean smirked at the thought. He was one of very few people who knew from experience and lived to tell about it.

Years back Dean had sacrificed his life to save his little brother Sammy's. While in Hell he was tortured continually until he finally gave in to becoming the torturer instead. He spent years in Hell, which was only a short time on earth since time counted differently there, torturing poor souls trapped in the underworld. It wasn't until Dean and Sam's friend and angel Castiel reached in and saved him that Dean had returned to this world. It was a rescue that Dean would forever be grateful to Castiel for, no matter how far Castiel went dark side afterward.

Sam and Dean sat in chairs opposite the grizzled giant Destin called sheriff and quickly showed him their I.D.s. The Sheriff briefly looked at them, but didn't seem to care too much. "The name's Dave. Dave Summers. What can I do for you, boys?" he asked.

"Thank you for seeing us sheriff Summers. I'm Chuck Manders, and this is my colleague Laurence Smithson. We just have a few questions for you." Sam started, "We've been sent to investigate these shark attacks. I'm sure you're aware, this many shark attacks in such a short time is unusual."

"It is, I know. But what can we do about it?" the sheriff asked. "Animals will be animals."

"We hope that we can determine exactly what is going on. Is there something in the environment that has changed to prompt sharks to be so aggressive? On top of that, what kind of shark is attacking? Are we sure it is a shark at all?" Sam explained.

"Yeah, better to find out for sure and take care of it. Otherwise we'll be like that movie _Jaws_." Dean smirked.

Sheriff Summers and Sam both turned and stared at Dean with a hint of irritation. Ignoring the comment, Summers turned to Sam. "What information do you need from me?" Dean's smirk faded and he looked down deflated, like a child whose parents were ignoring him.

"We were wondering if you could tell us where these deaths the last couple months actually occurred so we could go in and investigate the area. You know, see if there's anything that would be leading these sharks to be so aggressive. Maybe something's agitating them." Sam explained.

"Sure, they happened on Skydrops Beach and Emerelda Beach. I think three in the first and two in the second."

"Where exactly are these beaches? I'm afraid I haven't had much experience traveling around Destin." Dean asked.

"Oh yeah, you'll have an easy time once you get to one. They're right next to each other. To someone who doesn't know Destin well, they'd probably look like the same beach. One just continues into the other." Sheriff Summers explained as he pulled a map out of his desk. "Here. This is Skydrops, and here's Emerelda."

Sam studied the map as Summers pointed to the two beaches. "So they're barely more than a mile of beach."

"Like I said. To someone unfamiliar they would probably seem like the same beach."

"Do you know where the attacks actually happened?" Dean asked, looking at the beaches on the map.

"Absolutely. Wait here." Sheriff Summers said as he took the map and left the room.

Sam waited until the Sheriff's footsteps faded down the hall. He smacked Dean on the arm.

"What was that for?" Dean asked in an irritated voice.

" _Jaws?_ Seriously Dean?"

"What? It's a good movie." He had the smile of a mischievous little boy.

"Yeah, it is a good movie, but is now really the appropriate time to compare to it? To the Sheriff?" Sam argued.

Dean huffed and rolled his eyes. "Bitch." Sam opened his mouth to protest, but quickly closed it as the Sheriff walked back into the room.

"This oughta' help." he said as he placed a photocopy of the map in front of the brothers. They both looked and saw that Summers had placed an "X" on the 7 spots along the beaches where the attacks had occurred.

"So these are the attacks?" Sam asked.

"Yup."

"They're so close together." Dean observed aloud. The "X"s were close together and formed a line starting at Skydrops Beach and going into Emerelda Beach. "What's this?" Dean asked.

The Sheriff looked where Dean was pointing. "Oh, that's just a tourist trap." he explained. "It's called the Tiki Torch Tavern."

"I see. Thanks."

"Now, have you searched for the shark that is guilty of these assaults on people?" Sam asked.

"That's the thing. We respond to shark sightings on occasion, if they don't swim away after a while. But rarely do we actually have to get involved with any sharks. They never really bother anyone. But considering the number of attacks in such a short time, naturally we've been out several times to sweep the area."

"And?"

"Nothing. We've not found anything."

"That's good, right?" Dean asked.

"Actually, it's kinda' frightening." The Sheriff answered. "First, it means that the shark that is attacking people is still swimming free. Second, when I said we saw 'nothing' I literally meant nothing. It is incredibly common to see sharks around here, especially Tiger Sharks. We haven't even seen any of those around those beaches. There's almost no aquatic life at all around there. Usually fish are absent from an area that sharks are around. We didn't find any fish, so you would assume there would be sharks. But we didn't find sharks either. The only place we found any fish was at a small reef just off the coast, right." he said as he pointed to the shore just off from the Tiki Torch Tavern.

"So whatever is attacking these people isn't lingering around." Sam said while thinking. "That's odd."

"Don't worry, Sheriff." Dean said with a smile. "That's what we're here for. We'll get to the bottom of this."

"Is there anything else you need?" the grizzled man asked.

Dean shifted in his seat. "Actually, we noticed that a lot of people have been reported missing. Do you think they were attacked by sharks too? Maybe their bodies just haven't come to shore yet?

"No. These people all went missing from town. A couple of them had spouses that confirmed that they were going nowhere near the ocean at the time that they went missing."

"Okay. Thanks." Dean said quietly, lost in thought.

"Anything else?" Sheriff Summers asked.

"If we think of something, we'll be in touch." Sam said. The brothers stood up and shook his hand. As they walked through the door, Dean stopped and turn on his heel.

"Actually, there is one more thing." he began.

"What?" the sheriff asked gingerly.

"Is there any way we could take a look at the recovered bodies?" Dean asked. "It could help us identify what kind of shark has been attacking and what size we're looking for."

"Permission granted. I'll let the guys at the morgue know you'll be stopping by. It's an offsite location. I'll have Karen give you the address."

"Thanks." Dean said politely and headed out the door with his little brother.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Dean and Sam walked to the address the Sheriff's receptionist gave them. "Is this it?" Dean asked. Sam pulled out the sheet of paper the elderly woman had given them.

"This is it." Sam answered. The brothers stood before the building. It looked like it had seen better days. The paint was chipped, the windows dirty, and the architecture style was out of date.

"Okay." Dean said, sounding unconvinced, as he headed toward the front door. The door creaked as they pushed it open. The room was faded, like everything in it had been there for too long. The color on the walls was faded. What was once white was now a dirty off-white color. The wood benches in the lobby looked like they needed sanded down again and re-finished. The floor was linoleum with a black and white square pattern. It was scuffed up and dirty. The lights were too weak to light the room up well, giving the whole room the eerie feeling like it belonged in a horror movie. It definitely didn't feel like the Sun State in here.

Dean froze. It all seemed so familiar. His mind was overcome by images from the past; Crowley and he were sitting in a room much like this one. The colors on the walls faded, the furniture out dated, and the room poorly lit. It was Crowley's headquarters as the king of Hell. Dean couldn't believe he was hanging out, all buddy-buddy with the king of Hell. The same one that tried to kill him and his little brother. But despite not wanting it to be real, Dean knew these memories were the real deal. He had hung with Crowley like besties. He worked for Crowley. He _killed_ for Crowley. He _liked_ killing for Crowley.

Dean was jolted back to reality by Sam shaking him by the shoulder. "Dean, are you in there?" He asked, sounding both confused and concerned. Dean figured he must have looked like he was miles away by the face Sammy was giving him. "You okay? I said your name like four times."

Dean cleared his throat, trying to pretend that nothing had just happened. "I'm fine. I was just thinking." He started. "Is it common for the police to use a morgue located off-site?" Dean asked.

Sam rolled his eyes with a quick laugh, not believing Dean for one second, but not wanting to start anything between them now. "I don't think so." Sam answered looking around at the dull room's weak excuses for decorations "This is the first I've ever seen like this." There were some lame motivational posters on the wall and a few fake plants resting around the room.

They approached and waited behind two young people that sounded like they were in an argument with a man dressed like a doctor, but acting like a receptionist.

"He's our brother. When can we bury him?" the young girl asked, her voice sounding shaky, like she was crying or about to cry.

"All I can tell you is that you need to be patient." the thin man behind the desk explained.

"We've been waiting. Too long!" the girl cried.

"His body is evidence in an on-going investigation regarding the shark attacks that have occurred recently."

The young man next to the girl spoke up. "This isn't a murder case. It's just a shark attack. What could you possibly learn from a body?"

"Lots. But nothing I can discuss with you. You wouldn't want to hear it." the man explained, sounding sympathetic.

"Whatever." the young man sighed, sounding like he was giving up. This didn't sound like the first time these kids had been here.

"Does your grandmother know you're here?" the man asked, furrowing his brow.

"No, and that's none of your business." the girl said plainly. "We're both over eighteen." The man raised his hands defensively and let the topic drop.

"All I can tell you kids is that I will personally notify you when the investigation is closed and we'll make arrangements to bury your brother."

Dean shifted impatiently on his heel. It was hot, and he was tired of wearing a suit. He wanted to be back on the beach in swim shorts. The young man and woman before them, looking defeated and upset, turned to leave. Sam perked up.

"Cassie?" he asked.

Cassie turned to him. She was a small, but beautiful girl. Her head only barely reached Sam's chest. She was even in casual heeled sandals. Her piercing blue eyes looked into his. "I'm sorry. Do I know you?"

Sam smiled and exhaled. "Sorry, not really. This is Laurence Smithson, and I'm Chuck Manders. We were at your table in the Tiki Torch Tavern."

Her eyes lit up. "Oh, right. I remember you guys. The grouper and the salad. Funny running into you here." she said, trying to smile through her frustration.

"Yeah. Sorry to hear about your ordeal." Sam said, giving her the puppy-dog eyes.

"Yeah, well I guess that's just life sometimes." she said, sounding irritated.

"Hey, maybe you could help us." Dean chimed in. "I don't want to put pressure on any sores you have, but we're actually the ones investigating the deaths."

Cassie straightened up, looking interested. The man next to her stepped forward and offered his hand to the brothers. "Hey there, I'm her older brother, Leon Sonova." He was a handsome man, definitely her brother. They looked a lot alike. He was tan, like Cassie, and well-toned. He would be intimidating if he didn't have such a Justin Bieber, One-Direction kind of face. Plus, he also only stood at Sam's chest. Both these kids craned their necks just to look up at Dean, not to mention Sam.

"Pleased to meet you." Dean shook his hand. Leon's eyes were such a piercing blue. It almost made Dean think that he was looking at a manipulated photo or something, except this was real life. Sam smiled and nodded his head.

"What can you tell us about your investigation?" he asked.

Dean cleared his throat. "Actually, we just arrived in town to lead the investigation, so not much yet. We're still working on gathering ourselves and all the info we need. That's where we're hoping you can help."

"How so?" Cassie asked, crossing her arms as if she anticipated a long conversation.

Sam spoke up in his most sensitive voice. "Well, we overheard the receptionist-"

"He's not a receptionist." Cassie cut him off. "He's just some jerk that cuts up dead people."

Sam made eye contact with Dean who raised his eyebrows in a _yikes_ gesture. He cleared his throat. "Right, anyway, he said that your brother's body was being held for investigation."

"Yeah, he was killed by whatever shark is out there that they're looking for." Leon said.

"That's what we're here for. To catch whatever is attacking people." Dean answered.

"I'm just glad someone's here to do it." Cassie said with a tone of relief.

"When did your brother..." Sam paused. "...get attacked?"

"A week and a half ago." Leon answered looking like he was mentally making the effort not to cry. "He was a scuba diving guide."

"Where did he get attacked?"

"He worked with Cassie and me at the Tiki Torch Tavern. They offer food and stuff, but so does every other bar in town, so Tiki also offers guided scuba dives to draw in the tourists." Leon explained.

"He was attacked leading a scuba dive?" Sam asked.

"No." Cassie answered. "Part of working as a scuba guide is knowing the area and finding things that people would be interested in seeing. Chester was out on his own just exploring the area."

"Is it safe to go out alone?" Dean asked.

"Not for just anyone, but Chester had been scuba diving since he was like 5 years old or something. Since before we were even born."

"So he would have known when sea conditions were safe for diving and when they weren't?" Dean questioned.

"Absolutely. We all do." Cassie said.

"You all do? What do you mean?"

"Leon and I lead scuba teams too. Our parents got Chester into diving and then he got us into diving. We all three worked as scuba team leaders at the Tiki Torch."

"Were you there when he was attacked?" Sam asked, trying to sound as sympathetic as possible.

"I was. Leon had the day off." Cassie explained. "But I wasn't diving. I was waiting tables that day, like when I met you two last."

"So you didn't know any more of what happened in the water than anyone else?" Dean asked.

"No, sorry. I don't know what happened." Tears began forming in Cassie's eyes. "It wasn't until that night, after I had gone home that we got a call on the phone telling us that he had been found dead."

"I hate to ask you this. If it's too much then don't answer." Sam led in. "What did Chester look like when they found him?"

Leon placed his hand on Cassie's shoulder and looked at Sam. "We never got to see him. The police identified him and took him to the morgue. They did let us use his body for the visitation, but not the funeral, but we never got to see it. The casket was closed."

Cassie spoke up. "They said the body was mutilated and wasn't fit for us to see."

"Then how did they identify it?" Dean asked looking puzzled.

"Our grammah." Leon answered. "She works for the police. She identified the body."

"Your grandma works for the police?" Dean asked, eyebrows perked up. "She must be a spry little lady."

Cassie laughed a little. "She is. She's wonderful. She's worked there as long as I can remember."

"Sounds like a great lady." Sam said with a smile. "Thank you for your time, but we've got an appointment with the medical examiner here."

Dean handed Leon a card with their fake aliases on it and a phone number through which they could be reached. As they headed past the kids up to the counter Cassie grabbed Dean's arm.

"Wait, please." she begged. "Is there anything you can tell us about our brother's death?"

Dean looked at the poor girl. Tears were running down her cheeks and her eyes were red from crying. Her brother didn't look much better. "Like I said, we just got here. I'm sorry. If we find anything out, we'll be in touch."

She released his arm and nodded her head in understanding. Leon took her in his arms and they stood hugging for a moment before heading out the front door. Dean knew what it was like to lose a brother. A while back Sam had been murdered right before his eyes. Dean's world felt like it had ended at that very moment. Dean couldn't handle life without his brother and met with a crossroads demon. He made a deal to get Sam's life back in exchange for his soul. The demon obliged. That's when Dean ended up in Hell for Castiel to rescue him. Dean felt tears gathering in his eyes and quickly brushed the thought away. _Man our lives are messed up._

They approached the counter and caught the man, just as he turned to head into the back. "Excuse me" Dean said to get the man's attention.

"Can I help you?" the man asked, sounding a bit annoyed. Maybe he really wasn't a receptionist and was tired of people keeping him from getting his work done.

Sam and Dean flashed their fake I.D.s to the man. "Ah!" the man gasped. "We've been expecting you!"

Sam introduced themselves. "This is Laurence Smithson, and I'm Chuck Manders. We're here to investigate the shark attacks."

"Right, right." the man said. "Come this way." He gestured them toward a door that led back into the building. Sam and Dean followed the man to the door. Dean glanced back over his shoulder to see Cassie and Leon walking out the front door. Leon looked back and made eye contact with him. Dean suddenly felt responsible for finding whatever killed their brother. Whether it was a shark or something else, whatever that something else might be. He was going to figure this out.

The man led them down a well-lit and very clean hallway. It gave Sam the feeling of being in a hospital or something. It all felt very sanitized. The man looked back over his shoulder at the brothers. "I'm Clark by the way."

"Hello, Clark." Sam said. Dean smiled.

"So, we have seven bodies here." Clark explained. "Sheriff said to let you look at all of them."

"We sure appreciate you." Sam said. "Hopefully we can find an answer to these attacks and get down to finding whatever is responsible."

"I hope so. It breaks my heart to have to turn those kids away without their brother."

"They seemed pretty upset." Dean said.

"Can you blame them? Their brother was violently killed and they have no real answers nor any closure on it."

Dean nodded silently. He was right. The kids were given no answers or closure to help them sort through the loss of their brother. That couldn't be easy. Having no real closure on their mother's death had led Sam and Dean's father to the life of hunting. It's what got Sammy and him where they were now.

Clark led the brothers into a room with several refrigerated containers called cold chambers built into the wall where they stored bodies on sliding slabs for inspection. In the room was an older gentleman that looked like he had been in the business for a long time. He was gingerly looking at the body of a dead woman who had been torn, or even bitten in half. Dean made a disgusted face when seeing the guts hanging out.

"The agents from the State Bureau of Environmental Protection are here." Clark announced as they approached the man.

"Ah, excellent." the man said, removing his lab gloves. He shook the brothers' hands.

"I'm Howard Terrance."

"Chuck Manders." Sam said.

"Laurence Smithson." Dean introduced himself.

"Jump on in." the old man gestured toward the room. Sam and Dean smiled and placed on lab gloves from a small table on wheels next to the cadaver in the center of the room.

"We'd like to give a quick look over each body." Sam said.

"They're the chambers marked with a yellow tab." the old man said. "Help yourself."

"Which one's those two kids' brother?" Dean asked.

"Which kids?" the old man asked, looking up from the cadaver.

"He means Leon and Cassie Sonova." Clark explained.

"Oh, yes, of course." Howard said nodding as if he should have known that already. "Them. They've been here almost every other day asking for his body."

"Why does their name sound so familiar?" Sam asked.

"You went to the police station, right?" Clark asked. Sam nodded. "Then you must have met their grandmother, Karen Sonova. She's the receptionist there."

"Ah, her." Dean said. "What a lady." He smiled. She had seemed like a nice lady. Reminded him a bit of a psychic he and Sam knew from Kansas. Her name was Missouri. She was a sweet little lady, though a bit more sassy than Karen seemed.

He walked over to the wall with all the chambers and pulled open one. Cold air flowed out from the refrigeration and chilled the brothers' skin. It felt nice, especially since they'd been cooped up in these hot suits all day.

The cadaver was a young man. He had a very handsome face. He was on the shorter side, but clearly taller than Leon and Cassie. It was easy to tell they were all related. Howard removed the sheet that covered the man. Dean and Sam opened their eyes wide in shock. The body was incomplete. The left leg was missing, and it looked like it had been ripped off in a very violent and painful way.

Sam looked closely at the section that looked bitten off. It looked strange. "Look at this."

Dean leaned in, holding his breath. He hated the smell of preserved dead people. "What?"

"Look at the shape of the tear, or bite." Sam pointed toward the bloodied section of the body. It was curved in multiple places, looking like a "W" with an extra "V" attached to it.

"Like it took more than one bite." Dean said.

"Exactly." Sam said. "I'm no shark expert, but I'm pretty sure they don't take multiple bites like they were sitting at a restaurant enjoying their favorite meals."

The brothers opened another chamber with another cadaver inside. This was of a middle-aged man. His tag read "Tim Niles" They looked along the man's side, where the fatal trauma had happened. It was the same case. It looked like several bites had been taken out of the man.

Looking at another woman. "Marissa Wenton" the tag read. She had her legs bitten off. Sam noticed the arch of the teeth marks along each leg indicated that each leg was bitten off separately. They were not part of the same bite. They looked at all the other bodies and found the same indication.

"Howard." Sam called. The older man came over to them from the cadaver he was studying.

"What can I do for you?" he asked.

"Maybe you know something I don't know. If I'm not mistaken, all these cadavers look like they were bitten several times, but all in the same area." Sam explained. "Have you ever known a shark to bite a person multiple times all around the same area?"

"Honestly, no." Howard explained. "In my experiences, shark attacks usually consist of just one bite, usually ending with a lost arm or leg. After getting a piece, they usually leave. Humans are not typically on a shark's feeding list. I don't think they particularly enjoy the taste of human flesh."

"But yet every single one of these bodies are like this." Dean explained.

"I know." Howard said. "And look at this." He walked to a desk against the wall near the cadaver he had been studying. He came back with small white objects in his hand.

"Teeth." Sam said as he got a good look at what Howard was holding.

"Shark teeth." Howard explained.

"Yeah." Dean said. Shark teeth were pretty obviously shark teeth when you see them.

Howard showed each one at a time and said what it belonged to. "Tiger. Bull. Hammerhead." He leaned next to the body and held each tooth to the bite wound. "See?"

"They don't match up." Sam said, mostly to himself.

"What do you mean?" Dean asked.

"They're too big." Sam showed his brother. "The bite marks came from a creature with much smaller teeth."

"So what was it?" Dean asked. He looked between Howard and Sam. Both looked at him with no answer.

Howard leaned in. "I'm no expert, but I have been working in this business for many years...probably longer than you've both been alive. In my opinion, this wasn't a shark attack at all. It doesn't even match barracuda teeth."

"What do you think it could be?" Dean asked, cocking his head a bit.

"I have no idea." Howard answered. "Whatever it is, it doesn't just seem like some animal that accidentally attacked a human instead of a seal or something. It seems like it is hunting the same area and regularly attacking humans."

"So humans are its food." Dean said, looking at Sam. This was definitely their kind of case.

"Well, we don't know that it solely hunts humans. I don't think there is any kind of shark or sea creature like that. But whatever it is, it does seem to have gotten a taste for human flesh and has come back for more." Howard explained.

"Do you think it could be like _Jaws_?" Sam asked. Dean smirked at him. Sam just glared.

"What do you mean?" Howard asked.

"In _Jaws_ a shark gets the taste of human flesh and continues to prey on people at the same beach. The beach was a tourist attraction so there was always supply." Sam explained.

"It's possible." Howard explained. "But I've never seen a shark with teeth like this before. I pray it's not like this movie though. In just a few days, tourist season will begin and the Destin beaches will be like an all-you-can-eat buffet for whatever critter is doing this."

Sam and Dean made eye contact. They had some serious work to do. If they didn't stop this thing soon, it sounded like a lot more people were going to die.

"Thanks for your time." Sam said, shaking Howard's hand. The brothers headed out of the morgue and onto the streets.

"Something that's unlike any shark known to these waters..." Dean said, thinking out loud.

"What could it be?" Sam asked.

"Not a clue."

"We have some research to do."


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Dean threw his dad's journal across the bed and moaned frustrated, almost sounding like he was yelling. Sam looked up from his laptop.

"I think I know how you feel." Sam said flatly. "I can't find anything."

"There's like nothing in here about any monsters from the water."

"The internet has too much. The only one that even sounds a bit legitimate is the Lochness Monster. I don't think we're dealing with her."

Dean stood up from the bed. "I've got nothing." He put his flip-flops on.

"Where are you going?"

" _We're_ going to the Tiki Torch Tavern."

"What for?" His actions betraying his words. He sounded like he wanted to stay and do research, but already was standing up and looking for his flip-flops.

"Cassie and Leon said their brother was killed off the beach there while diving." He said opening the door. "Maybe we'll be able to find something out where he was."

Sam followed him out the door. "What if they don't know where their brother was?"

"I guess we'll find out."

The sun was high in the sky. There were still a few hours before dinner time, but only a couple days before whatever creature they were hunting got its ultimate dinner. Tourist season would begin in just a couple days. Along the beach, Sam and Dean could already see a few venues preparing for it.

As they approached the Tiki Torch Tavern, they could hear music sailing through the air, accompanied by the relaxing, rhythmic sound of the waves flowing on the shore and quickly receding. Sam and Dean walked under the canopy that was the restaurant and looked around. There were just a couple people sitting around the bar. Apparently, the locals didn't come here for the live music.

On the stage was a hefty woman. She had dark skin and her hair was done up in a large ponytail that fanned out like a potted fern. Her earrings were large hoops and her necklace was a seashell. Her garb looked very exotic, something that could only be worn appropriately in a beach setting due to its bright colors and aquatic related designs. She was singing a song neither of the brothers had ever heard before, but her voice was dark and powerful. Sam actually kind of liked it. Dean wished they just played standard bar music: hair-bands.

They casually moved through the bar looking for the Sonova siblings. Dean approached the bartender and asked if he knew where they were. The man pointed behind him, out by the beach.

Just as the man had indicated, the brothers found the kids packing things onto a pontoon boat docked to the shallow part of the beach. They saw the brothers coming and dropped the work. Cassie ran from the boat to them. She was wearing just a bikini.

"Did you find something out about Chester?" she asked.

"No, nothing substantial." Sam said. "That's what we're here for."

"What do you mean?" Cassie asked as her brother came and stood by her. He was wearing only a pair of boardshorts featuring the image of a sunset on them. Sam and Dean both looked down at the two, almost feeling like they were talking to children. Dean guessed they were both on the bottom part of the five foot club.

"We need to go see where these things are happening. We need to see if there's something out there, like a clue, as to what is doing this." Sam explained.

"Do you know where your brother was scuba diving when he died?" Dean asked. He subtly winced, regretting having been so blunt when talking about their brother's death. Luckily, it didn't seem to bother either of them, at least not that he could see in their faces.

"I'm not positive, but I think I have a good idea."

"You mean the reef?" Leon asked his sister. She nodded.

"What's the reef?" Dean asked.

"Just what it sounds like. Just a small reef off the coast around here. Chester found it years back and we've been taking tourists there ever since. There are tons of fish there all the time and it looks like an old Mayan temple or something. Tourists love it!" Leon explained. Sam and Dean looked at each other, eyebrows high; glances that told each other 'maybe this is our clue'.

"Can you take us there?" Sam asked.

"Sure. When?" Cassie asked.

"Now."

The siblings led Sam and Dean to a changing room a bit down the beach. Cassie went into the woman's side while Sam and Dean followed Leon into the men's side.

"Grab one off the rack. Just make sure it fits. You're taller than most the men we generally take out." he explained.

Sam and Dean searched the rack of old looking wetsuits until they found a couple that looked like their sizes. Leon brought his out from a locker he had in the room.

"That one looks nice." Dean said. "I want one like that."

"I wish I had one for you, but my spare wouldn't fit you." Leon explained. "I'm kinda' on the short side."

"We can tell. I don't think I could even fit my legs into your suit. You're kinda' on the skinny side too." Dean laughed. Sam elbowed him and gave him the same look a wife gives her husband when he says something stupid or embarrassing. Dean rolled his eyes.

"Is it a far trip out there?" Sam asked.

"Nah, it won't take long to get there." Leon explained.

Having removed his sandals and sunglasses, Dean stood in the middle of the locker room staring at his wetsuit. "So, what do I do?"

Leon laughed. It wasn't the first time he had heard that question. "Take your shirt and shorts off. Then pull the wetsuit over your underwear."

Sam removed his shirt and shorts and stepped into his wetsuit. "Come on, Dean. You need some privacy?" He joked.

Dean looked at him sheepishly. "Yes, actually. I didn't plan on having to take my shorts off."

"So?"

"I didn't wear underwear, dude!"

"Why the hell not, Dean?"

"Why would I? These are swim shorts. They're made for getting wet! My underwear are not made for getting wet." Dean argued.

"I thought your name was Laurence?" Leon asked.

"Uh, yeah. It is. Dean is his middle name." Sam stumbled to cover his slip up.

"Why would you call him by his middle name?"

"He likes that more."

"Sure do. Love it." Dean lied. He didn't sound as convincing as he meant to.

"Right." Leon said, sounding unconvinced. "Either you tell me what's really going on, or we don't do this. Just who are you?"

Dean sighed heavily. "Fine. My name's Dean, and this is my little brother Sammy."

"Sam." Sam interrupted.

"Right, Sam." Dean corrected himself sounding like he had done it many times before and looking irritated at Sam.

"So, you're not really here to investigate the shark attacks are you?" Leon said sounding disappointed.

"Actually, we are. Kinda." Dean explained. "We just don't think they're shark attacks."

"Dean, what are you doing?" Sam asked sounding concerned.

"The kid deserves to know." Dean said. Leon looked at the two brothers, completely confused and feeling left out of the loop.

Dean continued. "We hunt things. Things that most people think are fake."

"Like what?"

"Monsters." Sam said plainly. Leon looked at him like he was crazy.

"You said it yourself. This many shark attacks are not common. Don't you think it's possible that something else is going on here?" Dean asked.

"When we looked at the bite marks on the victims' bodies, they didn't match any type of shark from around here." Sam explained.

"I don't understand." Leon said, mostly to himself.

"We think there's something else out there hunting people. Something evil." Sam explained.

"We need your help to figure out what it is and where we can find it." Dean pleaded with the boy. The boy looked into Dean's eyes with his sharp blue eyes. They lingered, like he was piercing into his soul. Dean wanted to break the stare, but for some reason just didn't bring himself to do it.

"Okay. I'm going to assume you're not crazy, even though this all sounds crazy, and just go with it." Leon finally said sounding a bit skeptical. "We'll do this, but my sister has to be in on this all too."

"Fine." Dean said, raising his hands in the air in a "surrender" gesture.

Sam grabbed some flippers and headed to the door. "I'll fill her in."

Dean stood alone in the room with Leon. Leon finally broke the silence. "I don't know why I trust you, but for some reason I do. Please don't let me down. Cassie and I need someone to count on right now. Please be that person." Tears were in his eyes. He looked desperate, like he was cracking. He had barely been holding things together for his sister's sake. Now he was confiding in Dean. Dean felt the pressure.

"I won't." Dean promised. A promise he intended on keeping. "Whatever killed your brother will pay. And no one else is going to be hurt once we're done here."

Leon cried and nodded his head.

"So, how should I put this thing on?"

Leon laughed. He spoke more quietly than before. "Just between you and me, just put it on naked. I never wear anything under mine. It's more comfortable that way."

"You sly dog. You're a regular weirdo." Dean laughed. "I like the way you think. Comfort always comes first."

Dean and Leon both changed into their wetsuits and grabbed a pair of flippers. Leon checked to make sure Dean's suit was on properly and they headed out to meet their siblings.

"Do you believe this?" Cassie asked, sounding desperate and confused, as the boys walked out of the locker room.

Leon met eyes with her. "I do."

She breathed in loudly and deeply. "Okay, fine." She exhaled. "I'll play along, but it all sounds insane."

"Okay. So we've got work to do." Dean announced, prompting everyone to refocus on the task at hand.

The team walked back to the pontoon that the siblings had been preparing. Once on, Leon untied it from the dock and steered it out to sea. They were on their way.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Dean stood behind Leon and watched him steer the pontoon out to sea. The boat certainly didn't speed through the water, but it did travel faster than Dean thought it could. He could feel the cool ocean air blow through his hair. The salty aroma of the sea filled his nostrils. It was a bit refreshing, actually.

Sam continued to wipe his hair out of his face. Dean looked over and smiled. He found it funny that his brother had to wipe his hair out of his face just as often as Cassie did. Sam noticed Dean staring at him and gave him a quizzical 'what?' look. Dean just smiled and waved his hand at Sam. Sam shrugged and went back to thinking about what they were about to do.

They had several hours of daylight left. It was about an hour and a half before 6:00. Sam hoped they would be back on land by then. Dean also wanted to be back on land by dinner time. He wanted some more of that delicious grouper.

Leon finally slowed the pontoon to a stop. "Here we are."

"This is it?" Dean asked, looking around puzzled. There was nothing here except a rock. "I don't see anything."

Cassie laughed. "It's all underwater. You'll see."

"Go ahead and put your flippers and masks on." Leon instructed. "I'll make sure everything's good once they're on."

Dean and Sam both placed their flippers and masks on as ordered. Leon came behind them and checked that their oxygen tanks were connected properly and that their masks were on securely.

"Oh, by the way, I think you need to know that once we're down there you won't be able to communicate with us, other than with hand gestures." Cassie explained. "However, Leon and I both can speak through our masks, so you'll be able to hear us."

"Why do you get to talk?" Dean asked in a whiny voice.

"We paid the big bucks." Leon joked.

"Our suits are nicer than the ones we hand out to tourists. During a guided tour, it is important for us to be able to communicate with each other. "Cassie said.

"Yeah, on the last tour we were on, Cassie ended up having to call me over for an emergency. It was good that we had these communicators." Leon explained.

"What kind of emergency?" Dean asked, looking wide-eyed at Sam. "Do we need to be worried?"

"No, but it was the strangest thing." Cassie said, staring off like she was reliving the experience in her head.

"Strange how?" Sam asked.

"Well, everything was going well at one moment." Cassie began. "Then it just wasn't."

"I went out a bit further away from the group to try to find some aquatic life for the customers to see, but there was nothing around. The fish were around for a second and the next thing I knew, they were all gone. That's when Cassie called to me."

"It was so scary, and confusing." she said sounding confused about it still. "The dive started out normal. We swam around the reef, where there were normally a lot of fish. There were still. Everything seemed normal. Then, in what felt like an instant, all the fish just fled. It was like there was a shark around, but I didn't see any."

"Neither did I." Leon said.

"So I kept my eyes on the customers, making sure nothing dangerous was around. I didn't see anything. Then I caught something just briefly in the corner of my eye. The next thing I know, one of the customers, a high school girl, was crying and holding her leg tightly. She was bleeding." Cassie shook her head, like she was trying to deny that the event ever even happened.

"This whole time, I saw nothing. No fish. No sharks. Nothing." Leon added.

"Neither did I. Just this girl with a huge wound on her leg that was spilling blood all around. Red was gathering all around her. Her dad swam over and held her tightly. I swam over and called for Leon through the communicators. He's a stronger swimmer than I am. I thought he should try to get her up to the boat as fast as possible."

"As soon as she called me I swam over as fast as possible." Leon explained. "I got to the girl and tried to comfort her, but I think everyone knew we were in dangerous territory."

"Why would you be in dangerous territory?" Dean asked puzzled.

Sam shook his head with a smile "Blood attracts sharks, Dean." It came out a bit more condescending-teacher than Sam meant for it to. Dean made the same pain-ridden face he always wore when trying to learn and understand something.

"How fast do sharks react to blood?" Dean asked. He was beginning to have doubts about whether or not their expedition they were on now was a good idea.

"Very fast." Cassie explained. "They can pick up the scent of blood from great distances away. Once they pick it up, it is just a short matter of time before they're on you. Sharks can swim very quickly when they want to."

"By the time I'm swimming the girl up toward the pontoon, I already see two sharks swimming closer. We're literally racing the sharks up to the boat." Leon said dramatically.

"That sounds terrifying." Sam said, hanging on the edge of every word the siblings were saying in the story.

"It was! I swam as hard as I could, but they were gaining."

"They did make it." Cassie said, pointing out the obvious at this point.

"Yeah. But it was a close call. By the time we reached the ladder and I was climbing up it after the girl, I could swear I could have touched the sharks' nose with my hand."

"Holy crap!" Dean exclaimed. "No, thank you. I don't want to be swimming with any man-eating sharks."

"That's not even the worst of it." Cassie said while staring at her hands.

Leon, looking surprised and confused, turned to his sister. "What do you mean?"

"While I had you move the boat away from the sharks, as the customers were climbing on, I looked down toward the reef, just to make sure that there was no one left behind. There wasn't. But I swear I saw something down there."

"Like what?" Dean asked.

"At first I thought it was a customer, but just for a second. It kinda' looked like a person, or at least I thought it looked like a person for a second, but it wasn't. It was probably a fish or shark, but it just didn't seem normal. It didn't swim or behave normal." She made eye contact with Sam and held it. "It was like it was watching me. Like it had been watching us as we dove. It creeped me out."

"What do you think it was?" Sam asked in a sympathetic voice. It had clearly raddled her.

"I don't know." she said wide-eyed and shaking her head. "I have no idea. I was trying to get a better look at it when I noticed it was swimming right at me. With the whole shark business I just didn't feel like taking any chances, so I climbed on board and didn't look back."

"I don't blame you." Dean said in a loud, almost scared sounding voice.

"Something about it just didn't feel right. It didn't feel normal. I thought it was maybe a shark, but it just seemed too aware, too intelligent." Cassie tried to explain. "I don't know. Maybe I'm just crazy."

"Maybe you're not." Dean said.

"If she's not crazy, then what do you think it was?" Leon asked.

"If it is anything, I don't know what it is. But that's what we're here to find out."

"Now I'm a little scared to jump in." Cassie said quietly.

"Me too." Dean agreed, looking over the boat into the water, trying to make out any ominous shapes below the surface. It all looked clear. In fact, it looked so pretty that anyone else would have just seen it as one of the best vacation opportunities ever. Not Dean. This was work. This was life or death, and not just his life. His little brother's life too, and Leon's and Cassie's. There was no room for vacation here.

"Well, whether we like it or not, we need to go down there, so let's get to it." Sam said, pulling his mask over and jumping into the water. Dean looked at him with pride. Sammy sure did have courage; More than Dean ever had. Without Sammy, Dean wasn't sure how far he'd get. It was Sammy that got him through every day. Without Sammy, he'd still be a demon. Without Sammy... Dean shook his head to brush away any dark thoughts that may have come. Sammy was here, and Dean was going to make sure it stayed that way.

Cassie pulled her mask over her face and jumped in too. Leon gestured to Dean indicating _after you_. Dean smiled and pulled his mask down. With a loud splash he hit the water, preparing for the freezing feeling that jumping into a pool or ocean generally gives a person. He didn't feel it. The water was literally warm. What a great feeling!

Leon pulled his mask down and went to the edge of the pontoon to dive, but stopped. He looked back at a silver chest that rested in the back of the pontoon. Normally he didn't even think about this chest, but given the conversation they all had just had, he figured it might not hurt to bring it along. He turned back and opened the chest. A shiny spear gun rested within perfectly fitted black cushioning inside the chest. It looked like it had never even been touched, let alone used. He grabbed it and jumped in the ocean alongside his group.

"Can you hear me?" Cassie asked. The brothers both gave a thumbs-up.

"Can you hear me?" Leon followed suit. The brothers again indicated that they could.

"Follow me." Leon ordered as he submerged under the water's surface. Sam, Dean, and Cassie followed. It took Sam and Dean a few moments to get the hang of breathing through the mask and kicking properly with the flippers, but once they figured it out, it all came quite naturally to them.

They swam down and down, much deeper than Sam thought they would. As he swam behind his big brother he watched the ripples of light from the sun dance across his back. It was the first time Sam had been able to see what it was like underwater quite like this. He looked behind him and saw Cassie smile at him through her mask. The sun was a wavy, bright spot behind her, obscured and distorted by the movement on the water's surface.

"Okay, we're about 100 feet down. In about 50 more feet or so we'll be at the reef. You'll know it when you see it." Leon said, his voice sounding distorted like voices do when they travel through a walkie-talkie.

Sam and Dean both gave a thumbs-up, indicating that they had heard Leon and understood. They swam calmly to the floor of the ocean where the reef was easily located. It looked like they had described: like a Mayan ruin or something. It all looked man-made and old. In the center was a collection of seashells of various types. Seaweed grew on the reef and danced in the currents. There were strange colorful plants, or maybe they were aquatic life forms, Dean wasn't really sure. Whatever they were, they looked alien and beautiful. It was all unlike anything Dean had ever seen in his entire life, save in his biology book in high school maybe.

"This is where it all happened." Cassie said as they floated before the reef.

"Is this where you saw the strange creature or whatever?" Leon asked.

"It is." she answered plainly. Everyone began looking around cautiously at the thought.

"Okay, stay close to each other. We'll search around for anything that looks odd. If you find something, get our attention somehow. Wave your arms or something."

"Sam, you're with me." Cassie said. He nodded and followed her around the reef to the right.

"I guess that mean's I'm with you Dean." Leon said. Dean led Leon around the left of the reef.

They swam slowly and very close to the reef. He was amazed by the way it looked like an ancient structure. In the center was a huge collection of seashells. There were so many it didn't even seem natural. Dean was amazed that he seemed to be able to swim faster than Leon. He thought it was maybe because he was so much taller, and stronger. His legs were much longer and much more muscular than Leon's. He had to make a conscious effort to move slowly to stay with him. They peered through the holes in the rocks and all around the plant life on the rocks. There was nothing. No movement. No life forms. Nothing. It was like there was nothing else in the water but them.

"I've got a bad feeling about this." Leon said ominously.

"What?" Cassie asked, sounding a bit scared.

"I don't see anything." Leon explained as he searched desperately for anything. "Not a single fish."

"I haven't seen any either. Have you Sam?" she asked. Sam shook his head _no_. "He hasn't either."

"Be careful. Keep your eyes peeled." Leon warned.

Cassie and Sam swam slowly along the right side of the reef. It was just as they said. Nothing was around. Cassie felt scared. She could see her hands shaking. It almost felt like her heart was going to leap up her throat. She looked over her shoulder, just to make sure whatever she saw last time wasn't watching her from a distance. She felt a bit of relief and comfort as she saw the gigantic man, Sam, swimming behind give her a thumbs-up. She smiled at him and turned back to searching.

She saw a large population of seaweed tangled and messy before her. If there was anywhere they were going to find signs of sea life, it would be in there. Fish loved taking shelter in forests of seaweed. If she just saw one fish, she figured her fears would be put to rest.

Placing her hands in the forest, she began brushing the seaweed away, almost like combing through big strands of hair. This would surely startle up some fish. After several sweeps of her hands through the forest, she began losing hope. No sign of life. She looked back; just to make sure Sam was still there. He was. She breathed out with relief.

Sweeping her hand through the seaweed again, her hand made contact with something. She stopped swimming and Sam paused beside her.

"There's something here." She said.

"What is it?" Leon asked over the comms.

"Not sure yet. Gimme' a sec." She felt whatever it was. It didn't feel like a rock. It was too squishy, but it wasn't moving like a fish or something. She kept pulling on the seaweed. Whatever it was was seriously tangled up!

"Gimme' a hand Sam." she said. He swam beside her and plunged his hands into the forest too. Feeling what she felt, he began tearing at the seaweed to free whatever it was.

As the two tore at the seaweed, whatever it was finally budged. It was free. Cassie pulled on it to bring it above the seaweed for them to see.

Leon and Dean heard a shrill scream come piercing over the communicators. They both jerked as it echoed loudly and painfully through their ears.

"What?" Leon shouted as he began to swim as quickly as possible to his sister. Dean was swimming too and pulling ahead of him.

Sam placed himself in front of Cassie to protect her from whatever she had discovered. As he got a clear view of whatever it was, he understood her fright. He took it from her hands and held it, looking it over. It was a body, or at least part of a body. The legs were torn off, as well as the right arm, and a chunk from the woman's neck and shoulder. Her face looked bloated, like she had been under the water for quite some time now. Flesh dangled loosely from the areas where portions of the body were missing, waving rhythmically in the water.

"I think I'm going to hurl." Cassie said, turning away from the body.

"What's wrong?! What is it?" Leon shouted, approaching where his sister was.

"It's a body, Leon. A dead body." Cassie said disgusted.

Dean and Leon met up with Sam and Cassie. Dean paused to catch his breath. Thank God nothing had happened to either of them. He couldn't live without Sammy, and he got the feeling that Cassie meant everything to Leon too. He tapped Leon's shoulder, who was hugging his sister, and pointed up toward the surface of the water. Leon nodded.

"Let's head back up to the boat." Leon said through the comms. They all gave their agreement. Dean took the body from Sam and headed up to the surface.

"Umm, guys..." Cassie said, her voice shaking. "There's sharks."

"What're they here for?" Leon asked, frustrated. "There aren't even fish here."

Sam looked to where Cassie was pointing. He saw two sharks. From what he could tell from his internet research, they were tiger sharks. Not the most dangerous sharks in the world, but definitely capable of some serious damage if they wanted to. They could even kill if they wanted. The group sped up the ascent.

Dean and Leon led the way, with the body as well. Sam stayed behind Cassie and kept an eye on her. With his eyes focused on her, he failed to see the third shark swimming right at him from his flank.

Dean looked back over his shoulder and saw the shark heading straight at his little brother with its mouth wide open. His eyes went wide and he shouted, but nothing came out that Sam could hear. His and Sam's masks didn't have communicators.

Leon heard what sounded like a faint, distant shout from Dean. He looked at Dean and saw Dean looking back down. Turning back, Leon immediately saw the concern. A tiger shark was bolting toward Sam and he had no idea. Leon quickly swam back and took aim with his spear gun. He had never done this before, but how hard could it be? You point and shoot.

He pulled the trigger and the spear launched out, spreading bubbles as it went. He prayed he didn't miss. Or worse, hit Sam or Cassie.

Luck was on his side. The spear pierced through the tiger shark, spreading blood through the water in a cloud. The shark slowed to a stop and floated awkwardly in the water, like there was no gravity.

Dean gave Leon an appreciative nod and continued his ascent. Leon followed.

"Nice shot!" Cassie shouted. She turned back. The sharks were gone. They were swarming the cloud of blood left from the other shark with a spear through it. She sighed a sigh of relief. That was a lucky break. As she began turning her head back toward the surface, she caught a glimpse of a dark figure swimming up at them from the reef. It was swimming at them and swimming fast. Too fast! She screamed.

Everyone immediately turned to see what the commotion was about. Leon and Dean couldn't see anything from where they were. Just water clouded by sand and bubbles, mixed with some blood. Sam, however, had the perfect view of what Cassie saw. There was a figure swimming at them like a bullet.

Sam swam in front of Cassie and wrapped his large frame around hers, almost completely enveloping her. In a second, Sam felt a sharp pain jolt from his leg. He screamed in response.

"Sam?" Cassie screamed through her mask. "Are you okay?"

Panic swelled in Dean's mind. What was happening? He couldn't see much, but he could see his brother wrapped around Cassie, and his leg was bleeding. He looked over to the sharks. They were still swimming around the dead shark's body. It was like they knew the blood was coming from the dead shark, but couldn't bring themselves to eat one of their own species. They were looking for something else in the blood to eat.

Sam looked around rapidly, trying to find the cause of his pain. Something had stabbed, or more likely, bitten him in his leg. He couldn't see anything. He gestured for Cassie to continue swimming. She followed the order and swam toward the surface, pivoting her head back and forth the whole time watching for whatever had attacked them. Sam did the same.

Dean and Leon did as Sam and Cassie were and continued back up toward the boat with the woman's body. Dean glanced back over to the shark's body. His heart sank. It was alone. The other sharks were gone. He looked around. Where were they?

His eyes darted down to his brother. His worst fears had come true. The sharks were hot on the trail of Sammy's blood. What were they going to do? He looked at Leon and motioned for him to go up to the boat.

"Okay." Leon confirmed. Dean handed him the body, which just about made Leon vomit, and headed back down to his brother. Leon swam as fast as he could up to the surface.

Dean raced down to his brother and placed his arm over his shoulder to taxi him to the surface. Cassie did the same with his other arm. Together they kicked with all their might, and flapped their free arms like a one-winged bird trying to master flight. Their ascent was going well. Dean and Cassie both looked back and saw the sharks swimming toward them. However, Dean saw something else behind the sharks. It seemed like it was watching them. Almost like it wanted to see what would happen, rather than get involved.

Leon reached the surface and threw the body onto the pontoon before climbing on himself. "I made it!" he shouted. "Where are you?"

"We're coming!" Cassie screamed, kicking as hard as she could.

"Hurry!" Leon pleaded.

Cassie and Dean swam as hard as they could, but it wasn't working. The sharks were gaining on them, and the dark figure was keeping pace, just watching from behind. Trying to look passed the sharks, Cassie could have sworn that it was human. It looked like a man, but it was swimming far too well, and it didn't have a mask or anything. She must have been seeing things.

Dean's heart was pounding. Swimming was not something he was terribly familiar with, and doing it with sharks chasing him was taking all the fun out it. He hadn't learned anything about scuba diving and now he was trying to out-swim sharks! Talk about baptism by fire!

He watched as one of the sharks swam quickly up to Sam's legs. It opened its mouth as it closed that last couple feet between itself and Sam's leg. Dean kicked it as hard as he could. He could feel his foot hit solidly on the shark's nose, or whatever you call the equivalent of a nose for a shark. The shark didn't seem to like that and turned to swim away a bit, but soon got back in line with its buddy.

They were almost there. Cassie looked back down and saw the dark figure swimming up quickly. It looked like it was done watching and ready to get in on some of the action. She couldn't quite make out the details of what it was through all the blood seeping out of Sam's leg. Her heart was racing. Whatever it was didn't matter right now! She just wanted out of the water. She reached her hand for the pontoon's ladder and grabbed on.

"Leon! Pull us up! Ladder!" She screamed. Leon's hand plummeted down and grabbed Cassie's hand. He pulled her up quickly and plunged his hand back down grabbing Sam's hand. Cassie grabbed on to his other hand, and together they pulled him out of the water and Dean pushed him up by his butt.

Dean glanced back and saw the creature and the sharks just feet away. His eyes went wide with panic. He practically jumped out of the ocean, forgoing the ladder, and flopped down into the pontoon. He quickly stood back up, ready for a fight in case whatever that thing was could come out of the water. They all froze for what felt like eternity. No one made a noise. They could just hear the water lapping against the edge of the pontoon. Otherwise, there was no sign of movement.

After satisfied with his wait time, Dean collapsed onto his back in the middle of the pontoon and exhaled loudly, pulling his mask off. He leaned his head to the left to relax and came face to face with the bloated mug of the woman. He flinched back and got back onto his feet. Sam laughed and then cried out in pain.

"How bad is it?" Dean asked, rushing to his brother's aid.

"Not that bad, but it hurts." Sam said, lifting his leg for his brother to see. The wound was deep, but not deep enough to be dangerous. It would bleed for awhile, but heal on its own just fine.

"It looks just like the wound that the high school girl got. Whatever that thing is did it." Cassie said. "You guys saw it too, right? I'm not crazy."

"Definitely not crazy." Sam said through gritted teeth. "This definitely feels real." He gestured toward the cut on his leg with his head.

"That thing wasn't natural. That was no shark." Dean said. "I'm not sure what it was, but it was no shark."

"Did you get a good look?" Sam asked.

"Good enough. The thing was fugly!" Dean said with a scrunched up face, like someone had placed rotting eggs under his nose. "Whatever it was, it was no ordinary fish."

"I'm willing to bet that if we look at our new friend here, we'll find the same strange bite marks as on all the other bodies." Sam said.

"Chester's body too?" Cassie asked gloomily. Sam and Dean both went quiet and looked at the petite girl. She looked physically sad. Her shoulders were drooped down and she was slouching. "The thought sickens me. That he would have to die in such a terrible way, like this lady."

Sam nearly felt his heart break. "I'm sorry Cassie... I didn't mean to-"

"It's fine. It's just the way it is. Nothing can change that. It's just sad."

"Cassie. Whatever that thing was is going to pay." Dean promised. "We won't let it keep terrorizing these waters and hurting people."

"No, we won't." Sam agreed. "We'll figure out what it is and we'll deal with it.

Cassie looked at them. "Damn right that thing is going to pay. I'll make sure of it."

"Cassie?" Leon asked.

"I can't let that thing get away with hurting Chester like that, with killing him!" she cried.

"Neither can I, but..." Leon's voice trailed off.

"We're going with them, Leon. We're going to get revenge for our brother. We're going to make sure it never gets to sink its ugly mouth into another person again!"

"Cassie, we know how you feel, but our line of work just isn't safe." Sam explained.

"I know, but I won't be able to live happily until I've seen this thing dead. He took my brother, threatened my other brother, and has taken the ocean from me. How can I ever swim again without worrying that there's some monster swimming with me?"

"I know, but that's why we're here. Let us handle this." Dean said.

"I am, but I'm dealing with it too." she said. "Either I'm doing it with you, or I'm doing it alone."

"Cassie..." Sam pleaded.

"Fine." Dean agreed. "You deserve closure. We'll help you get it. Obviously we can't persuade you from doing this anyway."

Sam looked at Dean with cautious eyes. Dean shrugged slightly. "Better they're with us than doing it alone."

Sam sighed. "I guess. But promise us you'll stick with us and do as we say. We've been doing this a long time. If you're careless, you die."

"Promise." Cassie said and turned to her brother, who looked less than excited to be joining the mob chasing the monster fish. He sighed. He could never say "no" to his little sister.

"Fine, fine. I promise too."

"Okay. Well the first order of business is to get this body back to shore where we can turn it into the police." Dean said. Leon nodded and headed to the pontoon's steering wheel. Soon the boat was making its way back to the shore. Cassie took a look at Sam's wound and cleaned it off. She told him she'd have Leon dress it in the locker room after he took the wet suit off. She handed him a cloth with disinfectant on it and told him to hold it against the bite mark until then. He did as he was told.

The sun was just beginning to set from the sky, casting darker shades of red across the water. It had been a long day and everyone was ready for a break. Unfortunately, it didn't look like they were going to get much of a break any time soon. Whatever was out there still hadn't been identified, or caught. Plus, there were the missing persons. Were they connected to the fish thing or not? There was still a lot they needed to learn before they could rest again.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Cordelia walked down the sketchy, beat-up alleyway alongside the long metallic wall of an abandoned warehouse. What once housed thousands of boxes full of merchandise from various companies now sat as an eye-sore to a booming vacation destination. Many locals avoided walking down these alleys during the night, not because they were known for being particularly dangerous, but because they were exceptionally dark, off the beaten path, and looked downright terrifying. No one would be surprised if someone ended up getting mugged in such an alley.

The long metallic wall finally came to an end as Cordelia reached the large, industrial steel double doors that entered to the abandoned building. Looking around, seeing no one, she let out a sigh of relief and reached in her pocket for a key. It went to the large padlock and chain securing the doors closed, ensuring no unwanted guests went snooping around. Once the padlock unlatched, she made her way into the decaying storage house, closing the doors quietly behind her. The last thing she needed now was someone's attention on her.

The doors entered into what used to be a small security office for the warehouse. Now it was just a ghost of what it once was. Furniture remained in the room, looking like it hadn't been touched in decades. A pot containing a dead and decaying plant rested on an end table next to a pile of magazines that were completely coated in a thick layer of dust. An empty water cooler rested on the floor, obviously having been knocked off by some delinquent that no doubt came in here hiding from the cops at some point. A square desk rested in the corner where a security guard sat at one point, keeping an eye on the merchandise and answering phones when needed. However, by the amount of dust, grime, and cobwebs all around the desk area, it was clear no one had worked here in a long time.

As she made her way across the cement floor toward a small door in the corner of the room with a little porthole window in it, the sound of her heels clicking echoed through the forgotten building. She pushed the door open with her right hand, being careful not to chip any of her nail polish. Stopping, she looked at the room.

Everything seemed to be in good state. The gory remains of that yoga girl still hung lifeless over the shell of her cocoon. Cordelia shook her head slowly. What a waste. It would have been better not to have woken up. At least, not until the metamorphosis was complete.

She walked across the room toward the row of remaining cocoons. They still seemed healthy. She placed her hand gently on one and smiled. It was warm. She could feel the slight pulsing of a heartbeat through the shell. Everything was proceeding as she had hoped.

Relaxing, she looked up to the ceiling. A row of sun windows lined the roof near the wall. Dust particles could be seen floating through the rays of sunlight spilling into the room, as well as the quick glimmers of spider webs as the light hit them just right. It was a good day. Everything was going well. The babies, save one, were all alive and healthy. Soon she would need to get food prepared for them. The thought excited her. Aquarius would be pleased with her.

Cordelia knelt down and kissed the cocoon of one of her precious babies. "It won't be long now." She whispered.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Carefully and quietly, Dean lifted the body of the woman from the reef out of the pontoon, which Leon had parked closer to the locker room than usual. Dean got a sick feeling in his stomach. Somehow, carrying a dead body felt a bit too comfortable to him, like he had done it a lot recently. He thought back to all his victims during his time with Crowley, but immediately shook his head. _Focus, Dean. Focus! You're in the middle of a hunt. Keep your head in the game!_

Sam kept his eyes peeled for anyone on the beach. The last thing they needed was someone to see them carrying a mutilated corpse off their boat. It looked all clear.

When they were satisfied that no one was around, Sam signaled for Dean to move. He hefted the body over one of his shoulders, trying to ignore the fact that it was bloated and disgusting, and rushed to the locker room. The stench just about made him gag.

Cassie bolted into the girl's locker room to change. Sam stopped at the entrance of the locker room. "I'll stand guard. Get changed and I'll let you know if anyone is coming."

"And if someone comes?" Dean asked walking passed his brother into the locker room.

"Hide the body." Sam said matter-of-factly. Not a hint of bother in his voice. Dean shook his head with a cynical smirk. _Man, our lives are messed up_.

He placed the body in the large communal shower and began to unzip his scuba suit. Before he could get it unzipped passed his chest, he heard sniffling coming from behind him. He turned around to find Leon standing in the middle of the room, trying not to cry.

"Sorry." he whimpered, aware that Dean was giving him an odd look. Crying was not something Dean did often, nor did he know how to handle it well. He thought back to when Sam was just a little kid. _What had I done then_? Sammy used to cry all the time, but only when Dad wasn't around. Dad didn't put up with crying much.

What had he done back then? He remembered Sammy crying because Dad was always gone on hunts. He cried because they were always on the move and staying in creepy motels. He cried because he never got a normal birthday party or Christmas. He cried because Mom was dead. Dean remembered it all like it was yesterday. They were the kind of memories a big brother never forgets.

Awkwardly, Dean walked over to Leon and placed an arm on his shoulder. It had the opposite effect Dean was hoping for. Leon's crying became more uncontrolled. His tears began forming more quickly and his breathing became broken. Dean pulled him in for a hug, like he did Sammy when they were younger, and rested Leon's face in his chest. Leon stood there, arms limp at his sides, head buried in Dean's chest, crying. He looked at the door. _This is awkward. Sam better not come in._

"That's what he looked like, didn't he?" Leon asked. Dean looked down at the boy, looking straight into his bright blue eyes, now wet and red from tears. "Chester died just like that woman didn't he? That's why we never got to see him."

Dean kept eye contact with him. He thought for a moment. _Did the boy really want to hear the truth?_ _Would I have told Sammy the bitter truth of mom's death?_ The answer came easily to him. He had already told Sammy the facts. Sammy deserved to know, even if it hurt him. Leon deserved it too.

Dean cleared his throat. "Yes." was all he managed to say, and it came out with more difficulty than he thought it would. _Smooth, Dean._ He rolled his eyes at himself. Leon wrapped his arms around Dean and cried bitterly into his chest. Dean worried that Sam would hear the crying from outside and almost pulled away, but thought back to his childhood with Sammy. He never pulled away from Sammy. He was Sammy's big brother.

He looked down at Leon. He didn't have a big brother anymore. There was no one for him to turn to. His parents were dead. His brother was dead. Dean hugged Leon and let him cry for as long as he needed. _The kid needs this._ He thought. _He needs to be able to cry and show his weakness when Cassie isn't around. He needs to be strong for her, just like Dean had always been strong in front of Sammy._ He never showed his little brother, but sometimes he would go into the bathroom while Sammy slept and cry alone. He missed his mom and dad too. Leon needed him right now, so he would be there for him, even if it was a chick-flick moment.

It felt like forever to Dean, but in reality was probably just a couple minutes. He held Leon as he cried. Finally, Leon's tears slowed and his sniffling weakened. He pulled away from Dean and wiped his eyes and nose. Dean looked down at his chest. Just as he thought, it was wet with tears and snot.

"Sorry." he whispered coarsely.

Dean shook his head with a sympathetic smile. "Don't be. It's no problem."

Plainly trying to switch the attention off of his emotional breakdown, Leon spoke up with a pushed perkiness. "We've got work to do."

"Yeah."

"You and your brother... do this as a job?" Leon asked, holding his gaze on Dean's eyes.

"Every single day."

"I'm sorry. It must be hard." Leon said, genuinely sorry that Dean and his brother had to deal with evil creatures and dead bodies regularly.

"It is, but someone has to do it. We do it so kids like you and your sister don't have to." Dean said, placing his hand on Leon's shoulder again.

"You know, we're not kids. We're over 21." Leon said, almost sounding like a question; like he was wondering if Dean actually knew their age.

"You're kids to Sammy and me." Dean chuckled. "We're old."

Leon laughed softly at the joke, then refocused. "I just don't know what's going on..." Leon said weakly.

"That's what Sam and I are here to figure out. And we will. Whatever did this to that woman, to Chester, is going to pay."

"That's for sure." Leon said in a voice as cold and hard as steel.

They both changed out of their wetsuits, and traded places with Sam.

"Everything okay?" Sam asked, noticing Leon's face looked red and puffy. He had heard the crying and figured Leon was struggling like Cassie was. He heard her crying too. Sam knew that if anyone could comfort Leon, it was Dean. He remembered being a kid and crying. Dean was always right there at his side, making sure he was okay. He was a good big brother. _He_ is _the best big brother._ Sam thought.

"Yeah." Dean said in a voice that Sam understood as meaning 'leave it alone' _._ That's just what he did. He dropped the topic and went in and changed.

Once he had changed, he came back outside with the body zipped up inside an extra large wetsuit and they all made their way back into town. Their destination: the police station. On their way, Dean laid out a simple plan to get the information on the missing persons from the police systems.

Karen Sonova sat behind her desk at the police station, watching the clock count the seconds. She hated working in the evening. She wanted dinner, but instead she was stuck sitting at a desk. It was slow evenings like this one that made her wish she could afford to retire. She couldn't though. She was the only relative Cassie and Leon had and she wanted to help them through college, if they ever decided to go. She sighed. She feared they may never go. They loved their scuba diving gig too much. They didn't even stop after their older brother died diving. _Young people are resilient,_ she thought. Or so that's what she had read on the internet.

The doors to the station opened and Karen saw her grandchildren coming in followed by two large men, one carrying a wetsuit with something inside. Her grandchildren walked quickly across the lobby to her desk.

"Grammah!" Leon said in a loud voice. "Come quick, we found a body!"

"You _what?!_ " Karen shouted as she practically jumped out of her desk chair and ran around to her grandson.

"We were diving and we found this body wrapped up in seaweed." Leon explained. Karen wrapped her arms around Leon, then approached the two men.

"Is it...?" she asked, nodding toward the wetsuit. Dean nodded.

He gently placed the body on the floor and began unzipping the suit. The smell of decay could instantly be smelt in the lobby. Cassie ran over to her grandmother's desk and sat in her chair.

"I'll call the sheriff. He'll want to see this." She shouted as she picked up her grandmother's phone and pressed the extension for Sheriff Summers. She had often sat with her grandmother behind the desk when she worked evening shifts. Cassie would bring her a to-go container of food from the Tiki Torch Tavern and eat with her.

"Hurry!" Her grandmother encouraged. Cassie sat silently as the phone rang in the sheriff's office.

"Hi Sheriff... umm... this is Cassie Sonova, Karen's granddaughter... No, I'm not playing with the phones, this is important!... Hurry to the lobby, we found a dead body!... I'm being serious!... Okay, we'll be here!" She hung up the phone satisfied that the sheriff would be there any second.

Just as she thought, Sheriff Summers came running into the room. "Where is this body?"

"Over here, Sheriff." Karen directed. He walked over and looked at the wetsuit with the body in it.

"Oh man, that's Beverly Smith." He said, recognizing her almost immediately. "Where did you find her?"

Dean, Sam, and Leon began to explain the whole dive to Karen and Sheriff Summers while Cassie got to work on the secret plan they had discussed. She typed in her grandmother's password into the computer at her desk as quietly as she could. Her grandmother had used the same password for everything since as long as Cassie could remember it. It was easy, the name of her late husband and cat put together: JohnMittens.

The computer loaded her desktop and from there it was simple for Cassie to find the files needed. She just ran a search on _Missing_ and found the folder for missing persons and investigations. She found all the on-going missing person investigations from the last few months and emailed them to herself. She would print them off later at her and Leon's little shack.

Cassie quickly locked the computer back on the log-in screen as she heard footsteps racing down the hall. She relaxed and tried to look as innocent, but concerned about Beverly as possible as two officers came running to the call of Sheriff Summers. Together, the officers carried the wetsuit with Beverly's body inside back into the rear of the building so any citizens coming into the station wouldn't see it. They would undoubtedly move it to the morgue later, once it was night and no one was around to see them move it.

She stood from the chair and joined her brother with Sam, Dean, and their grandmother. Her grandmother was looking concernedly from Leon, to Sam, to Dean. "Are you sure you're all okay?"

"We're fine, grammah." Leon said, only being half honest. They were physically alright, save Sam's leg that Cassie and Leon had already tended to, but emotionally Leon didn't feel so hot. He missed Chester and he was afraid of what was to come. What if Sam and Dean were actually right and it wasn't a shark attacking people? What if it was something else? What if it turned out that the missing persons were related?

"What were you two doing with these men?" she asked her grandchildren, ignoring the fact that Sam and Dean were right there.

"They came to the Tiki Torch looking for any information they could get on any of the victims." Cassie lied. "Since...you know... we knew Chester, we told them about him and where we thought he was probably at when he was..." she left her sentence off there. It hung pregnant in the air for several moments.

"I see." she said sternly. "Agents, you ought to be ashamed of yourself." She turned to them.

"Grammah, stop." Leon pleaded.

"Bringing my grandkids into a dangerous investigation. What if you had been attacked?"

"We're very sorry." Dean said, leaving out the detail that they were in fact, attacked.

"It wasn't their fault grandma." Cassie explained. "We followed them. They didn't invite us along."

Karen sighed. "I'm just glad you're okay. All of you. With all that's going on nowadays, I worry. It's my job to worry, you know."

"Yeah, yeah." Leon said, like he had heard this speech before. He gave her a big hug. Cassie made eye contact with Dean and gave a slight nod. He nodded back.

"Well, we have an investigation that we need to continue. Thank you for your help Officer Sonova." Dean said, offering his hand. She shook it.

"Be safe. I hope you find whatever shark is doing this." She said, sounding tired of hearing of all the attacks. "Let me know if there's anything I can help with. I just want our waters safe again."

"Thanks. We will."


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

Dean and Sam walked the boardwalk of Destin in their casual beach clothes, as the sun finished setting. They had parted ways with Leon and Cassie for the night so that their grandmother wouldn't know they were all intentionally working together. Leon had Dean's card in case they needed to get a hold of him and they had told them where they were staying. They were planning on meeting the next morning to go over the missing persons reports that Cassie had emailed to herself.

The boardwalk was alive with preparations for the tourists that would be arriving in just a couple days. Lots of the attractions along it were already open and many locals were taking advantage of the fun before the crowds of tourists arrived. It all looked like a small carnival. There were colorful lights hung all around like it was Christmas. The smell of grilled fish and popcorn wafted through the air. People could be seen drinking alcoholic beverages, playing carnival games, and listening to the various musicians at all the little bars along the walk.

"So I think there's definitely something other than a shark in those waters." Sam said. "I saw it with my own eyes."

"What did it look like?" Dean asked as he walked down the boardwalk beside his younger brother. He was sure they had seen the same thing.

"That's the problem. I had a hard time getting a good look at it through the blood, bubbles, and sand. Whatever it was had more intelligence than your average fish. It actually hung back, like it was assessing the situation. Almost like it wanted the sharks to do all the work."

"Like it didn't want to dirty its own hands?"

"I don't know. It didn't seem to come rushing at us until we were close enough to the boats that it looked like the sharks wouldn't get us."

"But you couldn't get a look at it?"

"I did look at it. I just couldn't really make out what it was. It kinda' reminded me of a human, but it clearly wasn't. Whatever it was could swim fast. Plus, the sharks seemed to pay it no mind." Sam said, scratching his head.

"Any ideas?" Dean asked.

"Not at all. I don't know much on sea monsters."

"Yeah, same here."

"Whatever it was, it seemed dangerous. I think it's what messed up my leg. This is not a bite mark." Sam stopped walking and showed Dean his bare leg. Dean knelt down and placed his finger on the wound, feeling the mark.

"Hmm." he said with a furrowed face. "This isn't a bite at all. It's like someone sliced you with a knife."

"Or a really sharp claw." Sam said looking down at his brother.

"So, it's dangerous." Dean said standing back up. They continued walking down the boardwalk, taking in the fun sights.

Sam came to a sudden stop, looking around, and quickly moved to Dean's other side, closer to the water. Dean looked at him confused. He looked scared or nervous.

"What's wrong with you?" Dean asked.

"Nothing. Let's just keep walking."

Dean looked around, puzzled. Then he figured it out. He looked ahead on the boardwalk and saw a clown standing on the left hand side, filling balloons up with oxygen and arranging them into balloon animals. He was either practicing for when the tourists arrived or preparing a stock to sell to them. He didn't look very creepy. He had a rainbow afro, his face painted white with big red lips and shapes on his cheeks, his nose was large and red like you would expect, and he wore oversized and very colorful clothing. Clowns were definitely weird, but Dean couldn't figure out why they were his little brother's greatest fear.

As they passed the clown, Dean nodded at him. "How ya' doin'?"

"Just fine, how are you?" the clown responded politely.

"Doin'good." Dean said in a chipper voice. "How much for a balloon animal? My brother here just loves balloon animals." He looked over at Sam. If eyes could kill, Dean would be dead.

"Two dollars." The clown answered.

"I'll take one. How about this one." Dean said, pointing at a red dog. He handed the clown two dollars and took the animal from the clown. "Thanks!"

"Thank you. Have a good evening, guys."

"You as well, buddy." Dean said. He turned and handed the animal to Sammy and they headed on their way. "Name it Clifford." Dean strained from laughing out loud, and his face showed it. Once they were out of hearing range of the clown, Sam huffed at Dean.

"I hate you."

"I know." Dean laughed. "Sorry. I had to."

"Whatever. Back to work. I was thinking. If the monster we're hunting is that thing we saw in the ocean, could the missing persons be related? The sheriff said a couple of them were reported by relatives to be going nowhere near the ocean when they disappeared."

Dean looked at his brother, deep in thought. "I don't know. The problem is we don't know what _it_ is. I've not a clue. For all we know it could be bound to the water, or it could not be. We haven't gotten a good enough look at it to guess what it is."

"My point is, do you think we should spend time dealing with the missing persons, or should we be back in the water with that spear gun hunting the thing?"

"I think we need to learn more about this thing before we go hunting it. In this business, going in half-cocked gets you killed." He looked seriously at Sam. "We're not getting killed."

"I'm not suggesting we rush in carelessly. I'm just saying. Tourists will be here in just a couple days or whatever. We don't have long to figure this all out. If we spend a lot of time following these missing persons just to find out that they're unrelated to our hunt, lots of people could die."

"Yeah, but if they _are_ related we could get a lead on what _it_ is." Dean said. "It's a gamble that I think we need to take."

"Maybe so." Sammy said with a heavy sigh. "This sucks."

"I know it. It's times like these that I wish Bobby was still around. He'd know what it is." Dean said with a hint of sadness.

"Or Dad." Sam added. The brothers looked at each other for a moment.

"I feel for those kids, Sammy." Dean explained. "I want to find whatever did that to their brother."

"Me too."

"I don't know why. But that kid, Leon, really trusts me, he's really counting on me, and I don't want to let him down."

Sam smiled at his brother. "That's the kind of guy you are. People trust you."

Dean blew him off with a 'Psh' "Yeah, right."

"Seriously. You carry a presence with you. One that gets people through tough times. You're a source of strength for the people around you. I don't think it's strange at all that Leon looks up to you."

"Yeah, whatever. I just don't want us to let him down."

"We won't." Sam paused. "You won't."

They looked ahead on the boardwalk and saw several fishing boats coming into dock. They walked up to watch. Fishermen were getting off the boat, tying them to the dock, and bringing out freezers with some fish.

"Looks like a light catch. Fish not biting?" Sam asked as he saw one of the freezers which was nearly empty. One of the fishermen turned his way.

"No, it's the strangest thing. No one seems to have caught anything."

Another fisherman got off the boat. "If this keeps up I'm not going to be able to pay the bills. This is pitiful."

"What do you think is causing the shortage in fish?" Sam asked.

"I don't know. Maybe this rush of shark attacks has scared the fish away. Sharks scare them ya' know. But this is pretty extreme. It's like there are no fish at all." the fisherman said.

An old fisherman that looked like he had seen several decades of fishing approached the brothers. He looked like he was straight out of an old t.v. show or from the story _Moby Dick_. He had an old sailor's hat on, a grizzled face with a messy white beard, and a pipe in his mouth. "I'd swear we're under Aquarius' Song."

"What's that?" Dean questioned the fisherman.

"An old legend." The old man laughed.

"What's the legend about?" Sam asked.

"I'm not too sure myself. It's something my grandfather used to say when the fishin' was bad. It was said that Aquarius was a sea god, or devil or something. His song controlled the sea, or cursed the sea or something. He always used it as an explanation to bad weather on sea or a bad haul."

"Oh really?" Dean asked. "Did he ever say anything else about Aquarius?"

The old man looked at Dean strangely. "No. He didn't. It's just a folktale, boy. A legend. Nothing else to say about it." He laughed and began hanging fish on poles for gutting.

Sam and Dean looked at each other. This was maybe the lead that they were looking for.

"I guess I have something to start researching more on." Sam said.

"Maybe Cassie or Leon have heard this story." Dean pondered.

"Or their grandmother." Sam added.

"It's possible."

The brothers returned to their motel after the sun had crept below the horizon. The night was dark, but still hot. Dean had never been so happy to be wearing such short shorts and sleeveless shirts. He was more of a jeans and jackets kind of guy.

The motel room was cool from the air conditioner, but still a bit too warm for Dean's taste. Sam hit the hay immediately. Dean opted to stay up for a bit. He changed into just a pair of boxer-briefs and sat on the end of his bed, reading through his dad's journal one more time, paying close attention for the word "Aquarius".

With an audible sigh, he flipped the book shut and set it on the table next to Sammy's laptop. Not one mentioning of Aquarius. Maybe there wasn't such a thing as Aquarius. But maybe there was. It wouldn't be the first time that they found lore in a library or on the internet that their dad's journal didn't have. He hunted a lot, but he certainly hadn't hunted everything.

Dean crawled into bed feeling okay about the hunt all of a sudden. Hope was still alive. They hadn't exhausted the lead. There was still a possibility of finding something out. Once they nailed down what this thing was, they could figure out how to kill it. With that lovely thought, Dean passed out almost instantly.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

Dean startled awake as his bed mattress bounced roughly. Someone had just jumped on his bed or sat down really hard. He rolled over, and looked through squinted eyes to see what Sammy was up to.

"Mornin', Dean." It was Leon. He was sitting beside Dean on his bed.

"What time is it?" Dean mumbled, still trying to wake up. _What the hell is this kid doing in our motel room? And at this hour...whatever hour it is. It's too early..._

"Nine in the morning."

"Hey, Dean." Cassie said as she walked into the room and sat on Sam's empty bed. Dean glared at Sam.

"What?" his little brother mouthed, smiling, finding some humor in Dean being woken up by the kid.

"I'm in my _boxers_ , Sammy." He yelled, irritated and uncomfortable getting dressed in front of the young lady. He sat up in his bed. "What're you doing here?"

Cassie held up a manila envelope in her hand. "We're here to talk about the missing people."

"Oh, right. Sorry I forgot to set my alarm." Dean apologized.

"You needed the sleep." Leon suggested.

"I think he did." Sam said giving Dean an annoying motherly look.

Dean started to remove the sheets from over his body, but stopped and looked at Cassie. "Do you mind waiting in the bathroom?"

"Right, sorry." she said and retreated to the bathroom. Dean climbed out of bed and headed over to his shopping bag that he left on the floor and pulled out a pair of light shorts. Pulling them on, he knocked on the bathroom door. Cassie returned to the room.

"What do you got on these missing persons?" Sam asked her.

She opened the envelope as Dean rummaged through his shopping bag in search of a new shirt. She kept glancing over at him as she pulled the papers out of the envelope. For an old guy, he was pretty good looking. "Not a ton on all of them really, but we have contacts, like relatives and stuff."

"That could help." Dean said over his shoulder. He pulled a grey tank top out of the bag and pulled it on. He went over to the mirror and smiled. It wasn't his usual style, but it didn't look bad. He looked down at his mostly bare, hairy legs, a bit uncomfortable now that the girl was in the room. _She'll just have to deal. Some girls find guy's legs attractive..._

Sam took the papers from Cassie and looked over them. There were nine missing persons. A few men, all young, and then several women of various ages. What was there connection? They were all reported missing around the same day. That's gotta' mean something.

"We should probably speak with the contacts listed." Dean suggested.

"Definitely." Leon said. "But how do we convince them to talk to strangers about their missing loved ones?"

"They could go as cops or something." Cassie said

.

"No, we're already known as agents from the state bureau of environmental protection." Dean said.

"Yeah, we can't get too many fake ID's going around. Often people will contact the police after we visit them if we use FBI or something as a cover." Sam explained.

"Then what do we do?" Leon asked.

"We could pretend to be friends?" Cassie suggested, sounding unsure.

"It's a possibility." Sam answered politely, but the tone of his voice hinted he wasn't going to really consider it as an option.

"Yeah, given our choices it may be as good as we'll get." Dean said shrugging his shoulders to Sam.

Sam looked through the names of the victims. He couldn't find anything these people had in common. They were running out of time and he couldn't think of any way to get these people's families and friends to talk to them. No one was going to open up to strangers claiming to be friends of the missing. People just usually aren't that trusting.

"What if Cassie and I go in with fake ID's.?" Leon asked.

"Do you have suits that look boring and official?" Dean asked, already hating the idea. But what other options do they have? He got lost in his thoughts. He used to wear a suit. No, it wasn't he that wore it, but someone else. He pictured the dark suit, with a red flower pinned to it. It was Crowley's. He remembered Crowley's suit. He remembered the blood splattering on the suit as Crowley watched Dean slash up a victim. The guy had done something to upset Crowley, but Dean couldn't remember what. Somehow, at the time, it didn't matter to Dean. He just liked the killing. He loved the way the knife cut through the skin so smoothly, but ran so roughly against the bones. A voice tried to pull him out of his thoughts. Dean couldn't stop thinking about the blood. The murder. The demon. That demon was _him_. The voice shouted and Dean snapped back to the motel room. Sam was staring at him, looking furious. "Oh, right. The suits. Do you have one, Leon?" Dean tried to ignore his brother shooting daggers at him from across the room.

"I have one." Leon answered, uneasy, feeling the heavy tension between Sam and Dean.

"How about you, Cassie?" Dean asked. "Can't be a dress."

"No. But I'll get one." Cassie said. "It'll be worth the money I think."

"Sammy?" Dean asked hoping his brother would loosen up and focus on their work.

"Can I speak with you outside, Dean?"

Dean grunted like a brute. "Fine." Then Sam stomped out the door and Dean sulked behind him. He knew what this was going to be about. He shut the door behind him and sighed.

"What the hell is going on?" Sam asked sternly, like a father disappointed in his son.

"Nothing." Dean snapped. He just wanted this over with.

"Dean, don't lie to me. Cut the tough guy act." Sam shouted. He was so sick of Dean's invincible attitude. Sam knew Dean was hurting. He was like a wounded dog, needing help, but barking and snarling at anyone who approached with a helping hand.

"No act, Sammy. I'm fine."

Sam clenched his fists, trying to contain his frustration. "I'm your brother, Dean. I'm here to help. Let me in."

"Please, Sam." Dean rolled his eyes. "I'm a grown-ass man. I can handle myself."

"Well you're doing a pretty shitty job!" Sam barked. "Just in the time we've been in Destin I've seen you lost in your thoughts in the middle of a conversation. I watch you toss and turn every night, screaming and moaning through nightmares."

Dean's head hung low. He knew Sammy was right, but he could never bring himself to tell him what he had done. Things that put other demons to shame. "I'm dealing, Sammy."

"Why won't you tell me what's going on?" Sammy asked, sounding less angry and more concerned.

Dean sighed. Part of him wanted to tell Sam. He wanted the support. He wanted someone backing him up, supporting him through his tough times. But it couldn't be Sammy. If he told Sammy the things he'd done, he'd risk losing his brother. He couldn't live with that. It was bad enough that he had tried to kill Sam as a demon. He remembered chasing him through the Men of Letters' base. He remembered swinging the hammer at his brother's head. What if he had hit? He could feel a tear forming.

"You're doing it again!" Sam shouted. "What in the world is so awful that you get lost in the middle of a conversation?"

Dean was brought back to his argument with Sam. "Nothing." He didn't have any better defense than that. "I just can't tell you."

The words hit Sam like a punch in the gut. Sam was at his wit's end, almost in tears. "Fine." Sam headed back toward the motel, but then turned around. "I spoke with Dr. Burns."

"Excuse me?" Dean asked, clearly ticked off.

"About you." Sam said as he headed back toward his brother. "He said you need help."

"Help?" Dean asked in a loud voice. "What kind of help?"

Sam hesitated, fidgeting a bit. "Psych ward help."

Dean's eyes nearly exploded out of his head. "You seriously spoke to a doctor about locking me away in a crazy house?"

Sam sighed and looked away from his brother. "No. I didn't talk to him about that. I just called him to get his opinion. You're having nightmares and day dreams. They're consuming you. It's not good, Dean."

Dean glared at him. "I can't believe it. My own brother. My baby brother, who I cared for, sacrificed everything for, wants to put me away like a crazy person. I can see myself, locked up like Linda Hamilton." Dean physically shivered and made a disgusted face. "That creepy man licking my face."

Sam ignored the movie reference and tried to reach his brother. "I don't want to lock you up. I just want to help you."

"You're doing a _great_ job." Dean growled.

"Clearly..."

"I'm fine."

Sam understood his last statement as a period to their long-winded sentence, so he turned and headed back into the motel. Dean watched him go, eyes full of tears, both angry and sad, wanting to tell him everything, but also wanting to be left alone. Dean followed him silently.

Cassie and Leon both stood back up when the brothers returned. They could feel the anger and frustration in the air. It was heavy. Neither felt comfortable speaking, feeling like either brother may snap at the drop of a pin.

Leon finally braved it. "So, are we doing the suit and ID thing?"

"I don't see any better options." Sam said.

"Okay, fine." Dean said with a heavy sigh. "Sam. You go get the suit with Cassie."

"And you?" Sammy asked. He knew Dean just wanted to get away from him for a while.

"I'm going to go make the fake ID's with Leon."

"Okay, let's take some pictures quickly." Sam instructed. He had them each sit in front of the white curtains and take a picture using the camera on his laptop. He then emailed them to Leon's email so he could access the pictures at the print shop.

They separated to accomplish their separate tasks. Cassie and Sam headed to the outlet mall to get a nice suit for Cassie and Dean and Leon headed to the print shop to make some convincing F.B.I. badges. It was something Dean was well versed in doing.


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

Dean and Leon arrived at the print shop in town. It was just a small shop along the sidewalk. It looked pretty plain. Various sized stock prints lined the walls advertising reasonable prices for custom prints. The aisles sold various inks for printers and types of paper to print on. There was a line of touch-screen computers that would allow you to upload your own photographs and print them right there. The software even allowed you to lay out what the print would look like. It had everything Dean would need to accomplish his task. He was so good at this the real F.B.I. wouldn't be able to tell his badge from a real one.

He got to work uploading the photos and making the fake badges while Leon stood watch, making sure no one would stumble upon the very illegal work they were doing. As he scanned the store he noticed that there was no one else there. The cashier wasn't even in the main area. He was relaxing back beyond where customers could see. The silence of the store was broken when his phone rang. He answered it.

It was his grandmother. She was calling to tell him that the radars were showing a tropical storm, not big enough to be considered a hurricane, but enough to discourage anyone from going out on the waters. When severe weather like this hit Destin, it would usually only be seen in the waves. The sky would generally still stay sunny and blue. Only over the ocean would you see any evidence of a storm. If it did hit the mainland, it would just be rain.

He said good-bye to his grandma and went over to inform Dean of the weather.

"The weather's gonna' get bad." He said.

"Bad, like what? A hurricane?"

"Just a tropical storm."

"What's that mean?" Dean asked, looking over his shoulder from his work.

"It just means the ocean's gonna' be rough. Visibility will be low. Waves will be high."

"Great. Here's to hoping that we don't have to dive after that thing somehow."

"I wouldn't hold your breath." Leon said. "No pun intended." Dean smirked.

"I won't hold my breath. Anyway, these will just take a bit longer. Can't rush these things or they won't look convincing." Dean explained, turning back to his work.

"I'm gonna' send a message to Cassie about the weather." Leon said as he started pushing the touch-screen on his Uwatch.

The phone rang and Cassie pulled her cell phone out and looked at the digital screen. It indicated that Leon Sonova sent her a message. She looked at it. It told her that they were at the print shop, and there was going to be bad weather, according to their grandma. He also wanted her to call his cell phone when they were done getting the suit so they could meet up somewhere.

Cassie was standing in line with Sam to get fitted. She had never been fitted like a guy getting a suit. It felt weird. She wasn't sure what to expect.

"What was that about?" Sam asked.

"Bad weather." Cassie said. "Tropical storm heading our way."

"Like a hurricane?" Sam asked, sounding a bit alarmed.

"Nah, not as bad as a hurricane."

"What's it like, then?"

"Just rough waters and maybe some rain."

They stepped up to the front of the line. A nice gentleman who looked like he may be in his mid-50's or so approached them. "Can I help you?"

"Yeah." Cassie began, "We're here to get fitted for a suit." The man eyed Sam up and down.

"I can see. You're a big one. But I'm sure we can find you something."

Sam smiled. "Oh, it's not for me. It's for her. She needs a suit for a new job."

"Yeah, starting my life in the business world. But I need one of those Ellen DeGeneres woman suit things." Cassie said smiling.

"Oh, okay. I think I can help you." the man said sounding a bit confused. "Follow me. I'll get you measured."


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

Aquarius walked down the street, trailing a couple gentlemen. One was tall and masculine, the other was smaller and more petite. Both of them posed a threat. Having taken the form of an average looking, middle-aged man, no one gave him a second look as he walked the streets.

The men walked together into a print shop. Aquarius had no idea what they were up to, but he knew they were up to no good. He had his hunches. There was a good chance these men were hunters. The only thing on this earth Aquarius worried about.

He peered through the store's window and watched the men sit at a computer terminal of sorts. Whatever they were doing seemed pretty menial. After watching them for several minutes, he thought they seemed pretty relaxed into their new surroundings. He opened the door and walked along the aisles, pretending to be shopping for printer ink.

The smaller guy began walking around the store again. He was keeping an eye on Aquarius. Little did he know, Aquarius was keeping an eye on him. He looked out of the corner of his eye and noticed that the larger guy was totally focused on his work. This was his chance.

As the smaller guy walked by, pretending to be browsing the aisle as well, Aquarius quickly and quietly struck the back of his neck, knocking him totally unconscious. Aquarius caught the guy before he fell to the floor and made a noise. He slid the body quietly out of sight from most the store and waited patiently for the other man.

"Alright, we're done here." the bigger guy said over his shoulder. He stood up and waved some piece of paper or plastic in the air. Once he realized that the smaller guy wasn't around his face showed concern. "Leon?"

When there was no response, he began searching around the aisles. Aquarius quickly and quietly snuck around behind the bigger man and grabbed him from behind, cutting off his oxygen until the man passed out. With two unconscious men over his shoulders, Aquarius gingerly left the store and headed to the nest.


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23

Dean woke up in a haze. He opened his eyes and a jolt of panic raced through his body. He couldn't see anything. He listened closely, but there wasn't any noise either. His arms were bound above his head. His body was sore and his head kinda' hurt. The last thing he remembered was being in the print store. Where was he now?

As he sat pondering his predicament, his eyes slowly adjusted to the room. He became aware of a row of windows in the ceiling that were letting some light in from the moon and stars, but not very much. He looked around. He saw that his arms were bound by chains to the wall above his head. He looked to his right and saw Leon bound in the same manner, though he was still out cold.

It was all so much like when he would torture and kill people for Crowley. Dean remembered the enjoyment he got from cuttin' up people on the rack. _Stop it, Dean. Now's not the time. Leon needs you._ He forced the thoughts away.

Scanning the room, he saw that it was large and mostly empty. It must have been an old factory or warehouse. The room was totally bare. It looked like it was old. The floor was hard and the walls looked like brick and metal. The wall he was against was brick. He shook his arms, trying to get loose. No luck. He looked around. It would be pointless to shout. There was no one nearby. No one would hear him shout through the walls of the building.

Looking up, he noticed the chains were very old and rusty looking. They must have been from back in the day that this building had actually been used for something. And who knew when that was? Ages ago, Dean guessed. He kept pulling on them. He figured if they were really old there was a chance he could break them. He struggled and struggled. All the noise woke up the young man next to him.

Dean's attention shifted to Leon, who was shouting at the top of his lungs. He had clearly never been in a position like this before. "Dude, dude! Leon! Calm down!"

Leon turned as if he was startled to his senses. "Oh my gosh, I had no idea you were here."

"Yeah, I'm here. Just stay calm. I'm gonna' get us out of here." Dean continued pulling against the old chains. He could feel them pulling farther and farther away from the old brick wall.

"Where are we?" Leon asked. Pulling against his chains too, but with much less success. He pulled and pulled, gritting his teeth. The chains didn't give any indication of breaking or pulling out of the wall. He breathed heavily.

Dean panted and huffed. "I don't know. Wherever it is, it's not a place we want to be." He pulled more. With a loud cracking from the brick wall and the pounding of bricks hitting the hard floor, one of them containing the loop that the chain had been passed through, Dean stumbled forward, free from the wall. He had expected the chains to break before the wall, but he'd take what he could get.

"Good job." Leon whispered. Dean smiled. Dean unwrapped the chains from around his wrists and checked for any serious wounds. He didn't see any.

"Okay, let's get you out of here before whatever put us here returns."

"Please!" Leon begged, looking around frantically for any signs of danger. Dean stepped right in front of Leon and grabbed the chains above his arms. It helped that he was so short.

"Ready for this?" Dean asked. Noticing his flip-flops had been lost, he placed one barefoot against the brick wall beside Leon. He began pulling as hard as he could. He placed the other foot on the wall on the other side of Leon and pushed with all his might to tear the chains free from the brick wall.

With a rough thud, Dean landed on his back as the chains and the metal ring they were looped through tore out of the wall. Leon relaxed his arms and began unwrapping the chains from his wrists.

"Okay, now what?" he asked, offering his hand to help Dean off the ground. Dean took it and almost pulled Leon down to the ground when trying to get up. Leon rearranged his footing to keep his balance and pulled hard.

"I guess we take a look around." Dean said. "But stay close. Whatever this thing is is dangerous."

"Okay." Leon whispered, creeping as close to Dean as possible. "Thanks, by the way."

Dean looked at him. "For what?"

"For getting me free from the chains." Leon said, gesturing back toward the chains with his head.

"Oh, don't mention it."

The guys crept across the large empty room. There seemed to be nothing around at all. Dean reached into his pocket and felt around for his cell phone. It was gone. "Got a cell phone?"

Leon checked his pockets. "No, it's gone."

"Mine too. Crap."

Thankfully it seemed to be the only thing missing from his pocket. He still had his lighter and knife, as well as his motel key. Why wouldn't they take anything else? It didn't really matter. Dean was glad he had what he had.

He flicked the Zippo on and took in the room. It was just as he suspected: large and empty. However, it ended up being much larger than he thought it was. The place was huge. He felt like he was walking through something like Mammoth Cave. Just black as far as the eye could see and all he could hear was the echoing of their bare footsteps and voices through the huge room.

"There's nothing here." Leon said.

"So it seems. But if that's the case why bring us here?" Dean asked.

"Maybe to leave us for dead?" Leon suggested.

"If that's the case then why didn't this thing just kill us? We've been out all day. It had plenty of opportunity. There's gotta' be some reason we're here."

"What if it wasn't a thing?" Leon asked."Maybe it was just a person."

"Maybe..." Dean said, sounding very unconvinced.

"What are you thinking?"

"That's the thing. I've no idea."

They walked across the entire room in the dark, on occasion kicking an old glass bottle or a broken piece of pallet wood along the way, causing noise to reverberate across the hollow room. As they made their way toward the wall opposite from where they were chained, they could hear something. It was a disturbing noise. It sounded slimy, or wet, or even... _alive._

"Wait, wait, wait. What is that?" Leon asked sounding afraid. Dean looked at him, his eyes were wide and jumping from one direction to the other. Dean placed his finger over his lips, telling Leon to keep quiet. Leon nodded his head in understanding.

They walked quietly in the direction of the noise. Dean took point, and kept his arm in front of Leon, like a mother does her child when turning too quickly in a car, to ensure that whatever was in front of them didn't get to him. Nothing jumped out at them. Nothing seemed to happen at all. The noises stayed the same. There was no indication that anything was aware that the guys were there.

Finally, the source of the noise came into view. Before them were nine gooey looking globs flickering in the Zippo's light. Dean approached one.

"What's it look like to you?" He asked.

"Ummm... maybe a cocoon or something?" Leon said.

"That's what I was afraid of."

Leon placed his hand on it and it sank into a layer of goo resting on the cocoon with an audible suction noise.

"That's disgusting." Dean said, his face scrunched up in repulsion. Leon pulled his hand away with some difficulty and a large string of goop clung to his hand back to the cocoon. He shivered from disgust.

"Don't ask me why I just touched it." Leon said shaking his head and closing his eyes, pretending none of that just happened.

Dean and Leon walked along the wall looking at the cocoons. They came upon one that was broken open and had a dead body hanging out of it.

"What have we here?" Dean asked.

"This really is your job, isn't it?" Leon asked. "You don't even flinch at this stuff." Dean just looked at him, smiled, and nodded.

As Dean leaned in to get a closer look he noticed that the girl was wearing work out clothing. Not the kind people wear around for their every day chores just to show off that they work out, but the kind a woman would only wear if she was truly working out. She looked like she had been dead for a while. She was hanging over the edge of the cocoon so her face wasn't visible. Dean grabbed her head to lift it up to see the woman's face, but then his lighter flickered out.

"Oh, come on!" he whispered coarsely. It was louder than Leon was comfortable with. He listened intently for any response. Not that it seemed like anyone else was present. But if someone left these cocoons or whatever here, then someone would be back at some point for them.

Leon listened in the dark as Dean ruffled through his clothing for something else to shine some light in the room.

"Oh!" Leon said as an idea sparked in his head. "I forgot. I have this." He flicked on the watch on his arm.

"Wait! Didn't you send an email or something on that to Cassie?" Dean asked looking at the watch.

"Oh shit! Yeah, yeah, I can send a message!" Leon said, practically kicking himself for being so stupid. He instantly started speaking into the watch. "Send message to Cassie the Best Sissy"

Dean looked at him, one eyebrow raised. Leon looked at him and blushed, flustered.

"What? She is the best sister."

"Whatever. Hurry up."

He spoke back into the watch. "We're in some creepy warehouse. It looks abandoned. There's some strange eggs or cocoons or something in here. We've been captured. They took our phones. We-" A sound echoed through the warehouse. A door slammed. Someone else was here.

"Hurry! Hide!" Dean instructed quickly as he dove behind the cocoons. Leon looked around for a place to hide, but couldn't move. He was panicking and his body felt frozen in place. He looked around quickly for Dean. Where did he go?

Dean got ready to run out and grab him when the lights suddenly flicked on. He retreated back to his hiding place, leaving Leon alone in the open. This sucked!

The door in the corner of the room flew open and a woman walked in dressed like she worked in Trump Tower or something. She looked classy, all business. "What are you doing?" Her voice was cold and firm, like sharpened steel.

Leon stood and stared at her like a deer in the headlights. She walked angrily toward him.

"I oughta' kill you right here." she said. Leon started backing away from her. "Freeze!"

He froze. He was going to die. He knew it.

She stood in front of him. "How'd you get free?" She asked, but not really to him. "No matter. Where's the other guy?"

"I ... I don't know. When I woke up... he...he was... he was already gone. I don't know." Leon started crying. The woman looked at him irritated.

"Whatever." She growled. "You're coming with me." She grabbed him by his arm and began dragging him out of the warehouse. She was incredibly strong for how skinny she was. As he struggled, the worst possible thing he could think of happened. His watch played the little section of Gwen Stefani's _Hollaback Girl_ that Cassie had picked as her ringtone for his phone. The woman stopped in her tracks and glared back at Leon. Now he was really going to die. She snatched the watch right off his arm.

"We're compromised." She hissed to herself. She threw the watch on the ground and crushed it under her stiletto heel like a pro fencer. Leon could feel the sweat forming on his head and running down.

The woman whipped out a cell phone and hit a button, dialing out to someone. "The nest's compromised. I'm moving them to our backup... what do you mean which backup? The only one I talked about... No, the old ship, Saint Satan's... Yeah, I'm heading out like now...okay...yes...bye." She shoved the phone back into her wristlet and huffed.

She dragged Leon over to the wall under the sun windows along the ceiling and stopped by a large metallic door that lifted up to allow trucks to back into the warehouse to pick up supplies.

She stopped by the door and reached down. With what looked like little effort, she took the padlock keeping the door shut in her hand and crushed it. She lifted the door open as if it was made of parchment paper. Leon gasped. Sitting, looking like it had been abandoned was an old rusty moving truck. It looked like something a family would rent to move furniture from one house to another, except it must have been neglected for ages. She threw Leon in the passenger seat and looked him fiercely in the eyes.

"Don't move. I can catch you and I can kill you. No sweat."

Leon nodded rapidly. He believed her. If Sam and Dean truly hunted monsters, this woman was the monster. No human could crush a metal padlock in the palm of her hand. He intended to stay put and let Dean figure out what to do.

Dean watched as the woman backed the truck into the warehouse. He knew that he was as good as caught. He couldn't get away at this point. It was only a matter of time before she found him. What could he do? Ship. That ship. What was it called? Saint Satan's? _Couldn't be a creepy ship at all..._ He thought with a sigh.

He pulled out his knife and began chiseling into the brick wall behind the cocoons. He was trying to be as quiet as possible while still making sure the etching was legible. He looked over his shoulders. The woman was picking up the cocoons, one by one, and placing them in the back of the truck. Dean raced to finish.

Once done, he looked at his work. It read, pretty clearly, _Saint_ _Satan's_. It'd have to do. He just hoped Sammy would be hot on their trail. He didn't want her to look on the walls or anything, so he ran out of the shelter of the cocoons, pretending to try to escape. Really, he was just averting her attention from the idea of him doing something suspicious behind the cocoons.

She immediately spotted him and ran over at inhuman speeds, tackling him to the ground.

"I don't think so." she whispered in his ear. "You're coming with me."

She brought Dean over to the truck and shoved him in the passenger seat on top of Leon. Leon grunted as the entirety of Dean's weight came crashing down on his lap. Dean huffed as the woman turned and slammed the door shut, returning to her cocoons.

"Okay, what do we do?" Leon asked.

"First, we switch." Dean instructed. Leon looked at him with a puzzled face. Dean gestured with his hand in a spiral motion for Leon to trade spots with him. Leon's face lit up as he understood what Dean meant. Awkwardly, they worked in the tight confines of the truck's passenger seat area to switch seating so that Dean was in the seat and Leon was on his lap.

"Okay, so what do we do?" Leon asked again.

"Second, you don't speak a word of this lap business to Sam."

"Okay." Leon smirked. "But, really. What do we do?"

"Nothing."

"Nothing?"

"Nothing."

"How do you figure that'll help us?" Leon asked having a hard time believing that what he heard Dean say was really what he said.

"Well, it may keep us alive." Dean said. "She's clearly stronger than us. She's faster than us. We're not going to get away from her by just running."

"Okay. So what?"

"So, for now, we do what she says." Dean then leaned into Leon's ear. "I left Sammy a message on the wall. They'll find us." He leaned back in the seat. "I hope..."

"Are you sure he'll come?" Leon asked, looking worried.

"Of course, as long as he gets the message."

"But you had that huge fight."

"We had an argument, Leon. He'll come. It's not like I kicked his puppy." Dean chuckled a bit. This kid would never have survived growing up in the Winchester household. Arguing and fighting is just part of the day. "I just hope he makes it in time."

"That's a lot to hope for." Leon said. "Just our lives are at stake here."

"Welcome to the business, little man." Dean said patting Leon on the back.

They sat quietly for a while as the woman finished loading up the cocoons. Dean noticed that Leon kept looking over at him with big worried eyes. "What?" Dean finally asked quietly.

"Earlier. Your fight with Sam. Are you okay?" Leon asked.

Dean sighed. _Now the kid won't leave me alone..._ "Yeah, I'm fine. He's fine. Everyone's fine."

"You should talk to Sam. He's worried about you. I am too, actually." Leon still wore sad eyes. "I know we just met, but I am worried about you."

"I'm fine." Dean said, then sighed. "It's just..." He closed his eyes heavily and pinched the skin between his eyes. "I've done things. Things Sammy doesn't know about. Bad things."

"We've all done bad things." Leon said quietly.

"Yeah, but these are really bad. I can't let Sammy know about them. He'd never speak to me again."

"He's your brother." Leon said, as if that was the answer.

Dean sighed. He knew the kid had a point. _Maybe it is that simple._ Dean thought. _But our lives are never simple. I didn't just bully someone at school. I murdered innocent people. I tried to kill Sammy. And I_ enjoyed _it all!_ Dean held back tears. _Sammy can't know._ "Yeah." Was all he said, ending the conversation, but he patted his back to let him know that he at least appreciated the concern.

Once the woman had finished moving the cocoons, including the one with the dead woman in it, she shut and locked the back door of the truck. She hopped into the truck and started it up. In a moment they were on their way to wherever Saint Satan's was. She looked over at them.

"Make no noise. Don't even try to roll the window down. Look perfectly normal or I'll kill you."

"Yeah, cuz' a grown man sitting on another grown man's lap in a moving truck looks normal." Dean complained. She only glared at him and turned back to driving. Dean had a bad feeling about this one.


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24

At the dock, Dean and Leon remained in the passenger seat of the moving truck as the scary woman used inhuman strength to move the cocoons from the back of the truck into a large motorboat. It was a tight fit, but she managed to load them all. Dean looked out at sea. The night was dark, but he could tell that the water was rough from the sound of the waves crashing onto the beach. In the distance he could see lightning dancing in the clouds, though none actually struck below onto the water. The faint sound of thunder rumbling in the distance made the entire situation seem bleak.

She threw open the door to the passenger seat of the truck and yanked Leon off of Dean's lap, landing him painfully on the cement parking lot. He grunted as he hit the floor. She then pulled Dean out of the truck with ease, despite his resistance, if she even noticed it. She was seriously bad news.

"So what can we call you, other than _bitch_?" Dean asked angrily. She glared at him.

"You do not need to call me anything. You'll be dead soon enough." she answered.

"Why not kill us now?" Dean asked.

"Do you want me to kill you now?" Her eyes narrowed as she cocked her head in a questioning pose.

"Not...particularly."

"Then what does it matter?"

"I'm curious."

She smirked and laughed quietly. "Fine. You're food for my babies. They'll be hatching any time. They're going to need some practice hunting before they can go out into the city."

"Congratulations on your babies _hatching_." Dean said sarcastically. _She's going to release them onto the town? This is seriously bad news._ Dean thought through a tough game-face.

"Not just you. My partner is also bringing food." She smiled a wicked smile.

"Great. Sounds like a real party."

"Get up!" She commanded. "Onto the boat."

Dean helped Leon up. His arm was bleeding from the fall. He was holding it with his other arm and wincing. It had been scraped, cut, and twisted. Dean gave it a quick once over. He didn't think it was broken or anything. It looked worse though because of the bleeding.

Together, they hopped onto the already full motorboat and the woman took the driver's seat. With the simple turn of a key the entire boat roared to life. Dean felt like he was sitting on one of those cheap motel beds that massaged you for a quarter or two, but really all they did was vibrate violently. Leon could feel his teeth chattering from the vibrations of the boat.

With the push of a throttle, the boat roared off into the choppy waves. Water splashed loudly against the boat, pouring over the edge and all over Dean and Leon. Leon winced as the salt water got into his scrapes and cuts. The boat skipped from wave to wave, crashing into each one, sending more water onto the guys. Leon loved boat rides, but this was one he could have lived without. The woman drove with reckless abandon, or impressive skill. Leon wasn't sure which.

The lightning flashed overhead and the thunder bellowed as a light shower of rain began wetting the guys. Dean rolled his eyes. _Could this night get any worse?_ He almost instantly regretted the thought. Why? Because the answer was yes. Sick of his luck, he moaned frustrated. _Yes, it could get worse._ He looked beyond the woman driving and caught a glimpse of their destination. _Saint Satan's._ This boat looked like it was straight out of the movie _Ghost Ship_. It looked like it hadn't been touched in ages.

"What the heck is that boat?" Dean asked Leon.

"It's been there forever. It's an old freighter ship or something. Used to carry cargo across the gulf. Now it just sits abandoned there. It ran itself onto a reef, apparently breaking the hull. It would sink if it wasn't resting on the reef. Now it's just a tourist trap. People like to look out at it, take boats around it for pictures. That kinda' stuff."

"Does anyone ever go in it?"

"No, I'm pretty sure that's illegal or something. It's definitely not safe to be in." Leon explained.

"Great..." Dean sighed. "It's not going to sink while we're in it, is it?"

"I hope not. It's been there for years. Why would it sink now?"

"Because I'll be on it. Everything goes wrong when Sam and I are around."

"Well, let's hope it doesn't sink." Leon said with a nervous smile.

"No kidding. When I die, I don't want it to be while I'm dressed like a tourist." Dean complained. "Saint Satan's? Really? Are they trying to make it sound creepy?"

"That's not really the name. It just gets called that now for the tourists it draws in. I forget the real name. Just some boring name, though."

The rest of the boat trip passed in silence, save the sound of the storm and the motor. The woman drove the boat up to the ship and parked it out of sight from the mainland. When they arrived she grabbed them both by their arms and pulled them into the water with her.

"Better hold your breath." She warned them with a smirk. In a second she pulled them both under water and swam them quickly to a hole in the hull of the ship where it had crashed into the reef below. Dean couldn't see much of what was going on. The storm had disturbed the waters too much. One thing he did know was that the woman was swimming incredibly fast. He could feel the force of the water rushing against his face as she pulled him along at inhuman speeds.

Before any human could have crossed the distance, the woman pulled them both up above the water in the belly of the ship. It was no titanic, but it was a large boat. Dean looked around, but couldn't see much through the dark of the night. Fortunately, or unfortunately, he didn't need to see. The woman dragged him and Leon along until he finally heard a door slam. He could faintly hear the woman's heels click as she walked away on the other side of the door. Wherever they were, it was made of metal and totally dark.

"What now?" Leon asked.

"Pray that Sammy finds us."

Footsteps clambered back into the room and something struck Dean hard over the head.


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25

Karen looked across the room after hearing a knock on the door. _Whose distracting me from Wheel of Fortune?_ She looked at the old cuckoo clock on the wall. It was passed 10:00. _Who would be at my door at this hour?_ Nervous, she grabbed her shotgun from the end table next to her and headed for the door.

Flipping the porch light on, she peeked out the window. It was Stella Torton, from the Tiki Torch Tavern. With a smile, Karen opened the door.

"Good evening, Stella. What brings you here at this hour?" Karen asked, concerned something may be wrong. Stella looked at her with worried eyes. Placing her hands on her lap in a nervous manner, she addressed Karen.

"I'm sorry to have to worry you, but you may want to come with me." she said.

Karen opened the door all the way and stepped out a step toward Stella. "Whatever for? What's wrong?"

"Well, it's your grandkids, actually." Stella said. "I think you may want to come with me. Something's wrong."

"What's wrong." Karen asked, deeply worried for her grandchildren. "Are they safe?"

"Yeah, they're safe. It's just... I'm not even sure how to explain it. It's like they just snapped or something, in the head. Maybe because of their brother or something."

"Oh, goodness. Okay. Let me just get my keys." Karen said, running into the house, snatching her keys from the kitchen, and running back out to Stella.

"I ran here. I don't have a car." Stella explained.

"I'll drive." Karen said rushing to the garage. She placed her shotgun back by her chair and headed out. She backed her blue Prius out of the driveway and welcomed Stella in. Once she was buckled up they pulled out onto the road.

"Where to?" she asked.

"The Tiki Torch." Stella explained. The drive was short, but it felt like forever to Karen. Her heart was racing with worry. It felt like time had almost stopped. She didn't know what she'd do if anything happened to those kids. They were all she had left as far as family was concerned.

It was illegal to drive vehicles on the beach, but Karen thought this to be the time to ignore the rules. She whipped the car onto the beach and drove quickly, but cautiously across the sand. Even though it was night, it was not uncommon to find people enjoying the beach.

She could tell it was the start of tourist season. There were already groups of unfamiliar faces taking in the sand. Some were even swimming despite the rough waves. Locals knew better than face the waters in this condition. They had no reason to risk it. They could hit the beach anytime they wanted.

She parked in front of the Tiki Torch Tavern and jumped out of the car.

"Where are they?" Karen asked in a rush, already heading toward the Tavern.

"Back by the pontoon dock."

Karen ran toward the pontoon dock, ignoring everyone that glanced her way, wondering what the old lady was doing on the beach in her pajamas. She got to the pontoon, but no one was there. The area was dark and completely deserted.

Karen looked around the area. "Cassie? Leon?"

She spun quickly as she heard the sound of sand kicking as someone approached. It was dark and she couldn't quite make out who it was, but he was very tall. "Can I help you?" he asked.

"No, thank you. I'm just looking for my grandchildren."

"Allow me to show you to them."

Karen turned. "I beg your pardon? You know where they are? Take me to them, please!"

"As you wish." the man approached Karen and swiftly struck her over the head. She fell hard to the floor, out cold.


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 26

Cassie jumped a bit when her phone went off. Checking it, she saw it was a text from Leon. Whatever it was, it better be good. Sam and she had been waiting to hear from them forever. Sam had been trying Dean's cell repeatedly. He was worried sick.

"Is it from Leon?" Sam asked.

"Yeah. He..." Her voice trailed off as she gave her full attention to the text. "Shit."

"What's wrong?" Sam asked, his voice concerned. He came over to her and read the text over her shoulder. "Shit."

"What do we do?" She looked up at the giant next to her. He looked lost in thought, but not as concerned as she was. He paid her no attention. "What do we do?" She shouted this time.

His head jolted up as he snapped back into his senses. "What? Sorry. I was thinking." He said far too calmly for Cassie to appreciate.

"Aren't you worried? What do we do? They've been captured. What if they've..." she trailed off again, placing her hand on her heart like an old lady when worried.

"They're not dead." Sam said placing a hand on her shoulder. "We'll find them. They're in a warehouse. We just gotta' figure out where."

She nodded her head rapidly. "Yeah...yeah. They're fine. You're right. They're fine." She said, mostly to herself. "Warehouse...where is a warehouse in Destin?"

"This is a tourist location, so I don't imagine there are a ton of warehouses around."

"I have no idea." Cassie said, sounding overwhelmed by the entire situation. Sam looked up at the sky. The sun was already down. It wouldn't be too long until it would be too dark to see almost anything and the tropical storm didn't help matters.

Sam perked up. Cassie looked over at him with an inquisitive face. "What? What it is?" She asked quickly, her head working in a panicked speed.

"Their cell phones." Sam said.

"The message said they were taken from them."

"Yeah, but if they were taken from them at the location they are being held, we can figure out where they are."

"How?" Cassie asked, looking confused. Sam looked down at her, failing to understand how she didn't follow him. He had to remind himself he wasn't working with a hunter. Just some scuba diving waitress.

"Simple. I just search where his cell phone last pinged against a cell tower. Then we'll know where the phone was." Sam explained. "Just like the cops do."

"Uhhh, okay. I'm going to trust you know how to do it."

Sam nodded at her and gave her a quick smile, but then a frown passed onto his face for just a moment. He couldn't help but think of Dean. He would have called him a geek or dork or something if he were to actually give her the long explanation about computer stuff he was about to. Sam hoped that he and Leon were safe. Whatever it took, they were going to find them.

Sam led Cassie back to their motel at a sprint. He quickly unlocked their room and kicked his flip-flops off. Running in flip-flops was not ideal. His big feet were killing him now. Cassie ran in behind him heaving. She was a pretty fit girl from swimming, but she was not prepared to be sprinting across town in the heat of Florida weather.

Crossing the room, Sam opened his laptop and punched in Dean's cell phone number into the search bar. The digital map honed in on a cell tower not terribly far from where they were. He didn't think it would take them any more than maybe 20 minutes to get there... if they stole a car or something. He glanced over his shoulder and looked at Cassie. She was staring at the room's decor, her brow furrowed from worry.

"Found the warehouse, I think. It looks like a large building."

Cassie walked over to the laptop and looked at the map. "I've never seen that place."

"It's not far. A short drive."

"We don't have a car." Cassie said confused.

"I'll jump one."

"Jump a car?" Cassie said her mouth wide open like she couldn't believe what he was saying. "That's illegal."

"Yeah, but unless you'd rather walk to your brother's rescue, it's our only option."

She sighed. She knew he was right, but it just seemed so wrong since her grandmother worked for the police. _She'd understand, though. Right?_ Cassie wasn't so sure. Grandma would be mad to find out they were involved in this whole situation to begin with. "Fine. But you're driving. I don't want to be behind the wheel of a stolen car."

Sam chuckled. "Fine." He got up and changed his clothes, placing on his long jeans and hard work boots. It would make for better running and fighting if the occasion called for either, or both.

The two exited the motel and scanned the parking lot for any inconspicuous looking cars they could find. The options were limited. There were only two cars in the entire parking lot.

"Which one?" Cassie asked. Sam approached an old blue Buick Century. Looking around quickly, he pulled the door handle. It was locked. Fortunately the car was too old to have any kind of alarm on it. That's one of the reasons Sam chose it. Looking around again, he took off his tank top and wrapped it around his hand.

"What are you doing, Magic Mike?" Cassie asked smiling. She had to admit. She liked what she saw.

He didn't answer. He ran his cloth covered hand through the driver's side window as hard as he could, shattering the window inward. Cassie gasped and looked around worriedly for anyone that might be watching. There was no one around, or at least none that she could see.

Sam placed his tank top back on and hopped into the car. He reached over and unlocked the passenger side door for Cassie. She got in as Sam began toying around under the steering wheel. Cassie couldn't quite make out what he was doing, but whatever it was that he was doing was clearly illegal, and he was clearly too comfortable doing it.

Striking two wires together, the car started to turn over. Finally, after several tries, the car started up and Sam was driving them to their destination. Despite its old age, the Century drove pretty smoothly. Sam quickly cleared the broken glass out of the window before anyone looked at it suspiciously. Cassie rolled her window down so they matched. They just looked like two people driving in an old car with the windows down. Nothing illegal. Nothing suspicious.

After about a half an hour of driving, most of it being stopping for pedestrians and street lights, they pulled into an area that looked more industrial than the rest of Destin. It felt dirty and forgotten, like something that needed to be torn down, but no one wanted to spend the money to do it. The buildings were all made of old brick and most the windows were smashed. They all looked like they used to be small factories, businesses, or warehouses. Now they were just abandoned buildings covered in dirt and graffiti.

Sam stopped the Century in front of one of the buildings, maybe the biggest one in the area. Cassie looked at it. Worry filled her. The building looked super creepy. There was no way she wanted to go in there. Sam, having seen her worried features, cleared his throat to get her attention.

"You can wait here, if you'd like."

Cassie looked at him with big, scared eyes. She knew she should go, but the scared part of her was seriously considering taking Sam up on that offer. Something in her, maybe it was courage, maybe love, or just plain stubborn pride, said that she needed to go. She couldn't let someone else rescue her brother for her. She needed to be a part of it. "No. I'm coming."

"You sure?" Sam asked, sounding sincerely concerned.

"Yeah." She clenched her hands in fists, emphasizing her newfound resolve.

The car's engine stopped and the doors creaked open as the pair exited the car and approached the large warehouse. Sam peered in the broken windows by the front doors. It looked empty, like it hadn't been touched in ages.

"See anything?" Cassie said, hiding behind his large frame.

"Not a thing." Sam said, walking carefully over to the doors, keeping his eyes peeled for any movement inside.

Cassie didn't move for a minute. Sam looked back at her and whistled quietly. She startled back to her senses, looking unsure of whether or not she wanted to continue. Finally, with a groan she moved forward. "This sucks!"

The room was a total dump. There were piles of junk on the floor, old furniture left behind from previous owners, and some dusty pictures and decaying flowers decorating the room. The pair made their way cautiously through the room and through a thin door. It led to a large, dark room. Sam pulled a mini flash light out from his pocket and flipped it on. Cassie turned the flashlight on her phone on. Together they scanned the room, looking for anything that might give them a clue to where their brothers were.

Sam crossed the room finding nothing. "Is it just me, or does it seem like they were never here?" he asked. Cassie didn't say anything. She was looking intently for any sign of her brother. Sam stumbled, almost falling completely over, but caught himself on the brick wall before him. He had stepped on something. He looked back on the ground. Rusty chains. Looking around the area he noticed that the chains looked like they had been pulled out from the wall. As he lifted the chains in his hand, he noticed the hole that bricks and chains would have been. The missing bricks were too concentrated, like they were intentionally removed.

"Cassie. I think they were here." he hollered across the empty room. "I found chains over here."

"I found something too." She hollered back, sounding a bit disgusted. "But I'm not sure what it is."

Sam jogged across the warehouse, his flashlight's beam bouncing up and down the wall opposite him. When he reached Cassie, he stopped and looked around. "What is it?"

She gestured with her head down to the ground. Sam's eyes followed Cassie's and he saw what she was referring to. His face scrunched up in disgust. What was it? It looked like goo. It was slimy and reflected the flashlight's beam like tree sap.

"What do you think it is?" she asked.

"Not a clue." He leaned down and touched it. "Yuck."

Cassie followed along the wall. "It's all along here. Man, it's gross."

Sam walked with her, looking at the goo. This wasn't just trash left behind. This was something organic. This was probably from whatever it was they were hunting. Sam shined his light along the goo, looking for any signs of his brother when something on the wall caught his eye. "What's this?" He asked to himself. Cassie heard him mumble and came over to him.

Together, they looked at the wall. It had writing on it. Someone had etched into the wall.

"Saint Satans." Sam said, reading the writing aloud. "What's that?"

"It's a boat." Cassie said matter-of-factly.

Sam looked at her a bit surprised. "You know what this means?"

"All I know is that Saint Satan's is a ship. It's an old boat off the shore, I'm not sure why it's there or anything. All I know is that it's an abandoned ship offshore and tourists like to take pictures of it from the beach."

"Really? Do you know where it is?"

"Of course."

"Then I guess we're heading there."

"Why? Do you think this was them that wrote it?"

"Absolutely. This is Dean's work."

"Okay." Cassie said, standing up and placing her hands on her hips, looking very determined. "Let's get going."


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter 27

Dean woke up leaning against a large steel column. His hands were bound behind his back, around the column by rope. He grimaced and cursed under his breath. _Twice in one night... Dad would be ashamed of me._ His only hope now was that Sammy found his message in the warehouse.

He looked around the room. It was poorly lit, but at least there was light. It flickered. Dean looked overheard and saw a gas lantern hanging above him. It was better than nothing.

The room was barren. It was clearly the inside of an old ship. The door on the wall had a porthole, just like would be expected. On the wall in front of Dean was a large window that took up almost the entirety of the wall. In the corner beside him was a pile of old crates, life vests, ropes, and other strange trinkets. To his right was Leon, bound in the same manner to another column. He was still unconscious. Dean felt sorry for the kid. This was one thing for Dean. He was used to it. This was his life. But Leon... He was just a normal kid. He must be overwhelmed. Whatever it took, Dean was determined to see the kid out of this all alive.

Dean watched Leon lay sleeping against the column. It kinda' reminded him of watching Sammy sleep when he was little. Sammy would always go to sleep when he was upset or stressed. Dean remembered sitting in the room of an old motel while their dad was away on a hunt. In the bed opposite him was little Sammy, probably about 6 or 7 years old. He was crying, his eyes puffy and his nose runny. Dean had made the mistake of mentioning the danger dad was in on the hunt. Sammy's imagination began running wild with ways their dad was probably already killed. He was really upset. Dean assured him their dad was going to be okay, but Sammy just wouldn't calm down. Not until he fell asleep. Dean lay beside him and slept with him that night.

Tears were welling up in Dean's eyes before he snapped himself back to their current predicament. Leon was still out cold. They both were tied up. What was he going to do? Dean rolled his eyes, irritated. His back itched. It was driving him crazy. He began fidgeting around. That's when he felt a quick sting in his wrist. He had cut himself on something. Probably the rusty edge of the column that was deteriorating away. _Thank goodness Sam always makes me keep on top of my shots... I miss him..._

Dean perked up with a thought! He began running his ropes up and down against the segment he had sliced his wrist open on. He could feel the resistance. The rope was beginning to tear. _This might actually work!_ He threw a small celebration party in his head.

Just then the loud metallic thud of the large bulk door behind him echoed through the small metal room. It creaked loudly as it was slowly pushed open. _Just great..._

The woman walked in. She stood proudly in front of Dean with an evil grin. He looked to her, confusion across his face.

"What?" He finally asked in an irritated tone.

She flashed him a smile that would have made the Cheshire Cat jealous. "Got a little surprise for you, boys."

"Sorry to tell you this, darling. But we're not that interested. We're all tied up, y'see."

"Oh, too bad." She teased with pursed lips and deeply sad eyes. The pity quickly morphed into a sick pleasure. She was enjoying this. She stomped over to Leon in her heels. "What a lazy brat." She hissed. More forcefully than needed, she kicked him in the gut with her sharp heeled foot.

Leon coughed violently as he awoke suddenly from his slumber. The wind had been knocked out of him and he was struggling to recover. He opened his eyes to find the source of his pain and saw the woman looming over him. Her eyes were like midnight. There was no kindness in them, no warmth. Just cold, dark, hatred.

"My little surprise will please you the most I think." Her lips curled up like a serpent just before it strikes. She walked to the window and looked out. "My hubby found a little present for our babies."

"Oh gosh, there's gotta' be rules about bitches as _ugly_ as you reproducing." Dean scoffed.

"Watch yourself boy...or better yet, watch the window, _Dean_." She spit his name like it was poison. "My little babies are hatching just down below. Right there in that room." She pointed at the window. She turned on her heel and marched out of the room. Her heels echoed loudly down the metal hall outside.

Dean and Leon stared at the large window for what felt like forever. Nothing happened. They kept waiting.

"What's this surprise?" Leon said, his voice shaky.

"No idea." Dean said, keeping his eyes on the window. He resumed cutting the ropes around his wrists against the rusting metal column. "Whatever it is, I don't want to stick around long enough to find out." With a few more forceful movements, Dean cut his arms free. With a loud sigh of relief, he stood up and ran over to Leon and began trying to untie the knot.

Suddenly, Dean realized Leon's focus wasn't on getting free. It was on something else. Dean stood and looked where Leon was looking.

The lights had flicked on in the other room and through the window was one of Leon's worst nightmares. His grandmother was tied up in chains and suspended from a crane over the room where the woman's babies were supposedly hatching. A yellow light came on in the room by the crane on the ceiling, indicating that the crane was being operated.

Dean and Leon both winced as interference boomed through the room. Dean looked over in the corner of the room and saw a speaker.

"That thing still works?" Dean complained.

A voice came through the speaker, loud. Too loud. The guys winced as the woman's voice came through the speakers. " _Courtesy of my beloved. Karen Sonova, your dear, dear grandmother. What a lovely woman. And to think, we wouldn't have had to take her if you had just stayed out of our way. We liked her, you know. She was good to us. We were good to you. At least until your brother saw something he wasn't supposed to..._ "

Leon began crying, his face red with anger. "You BITCH!" Dean knew she couldn't hear him, but the kid deserved to vent some anger. He placed a hand on Leon's head.

" _Now she has to die. Just like Chester. Let this be a lesson to you. Stay out of our business. Anyway, it's too late for apologies. You know too much."_ Her voice changed from angry to loving as she addressed her children. _"Enjoy my babies! Sorry Karen. Nothing personal against you. Just your grandkids. Love, Cordelia!"_ She laughed a villain's laugh. The speaker turned off and the crane whined to life. Slowly the crane began lowering. Karen began screaming and kicking her legs. It was no use. She was not going to get out of her restraints.

Dean ran to the window and looked down. His eyes about popped out of his skull. Those cocoons were not cocoons anymore. Now they were vicious looking creatures. Ugly ones too! Dean could tell that they were once human because of their almost humanoid form. He was pretty sure he could make out which missing persons they were. The faces and bodies were morphed, but not so much that there wasn't a hint of their past life. But instead of legs they had slimy looking tales, like a snake or worm. They didn't move gracefully, but dragged their bodies across the floor with their clawed hands. They were in a frenzy, reaching up for the food being lowered down. Their fangs clearly visible and their loud screeches and hissing could be heard through the thick glass.

"No!" Leon shouted. "Grammah!" Dean ran over to him and began untying him. Leon was going hysterical. He was wailing like an animal, crying uncontrollably. "Grammah!"

Finally, with a little luck, Dean got the knot around Leon's arms free and stood Leon up. Leon didn't even seem to notice that Dean was there. He was totally focused on his grandmother being slowly lowered to those horrid creatures.

"LEON!" Dean shouted like a drill sergeant. He reminded himself of his dad for a moment. Leon snapped out of his horrified trance and looked wildly at Dean, his eyes darting all around Dean's head. Dean put both hands on his shoulders and leaned into him, pressing Leon's forehead against his own. "We gotta' go. If we're to save your grandma we gotta' get to the crane controls. Okay?" Leon nodded his understanding. "Are you with me?" Leon nodded again, more intentionally. Dean, satisfied that Leon was back from his mental trip into his nightmare, led Leon to the door. It was closed and rusted. Dean grabbed the wheel in the center of the door used to seal and unseal it in case of water flooding in. With all his might he twisted, grunting and straining, his teeth gritted to the point it hurt. He could slightly feel the wheel turning and hear the latch in the door moving. Leon stepped up and added his strength. Together they managed to get the door open.

The hallway was long and narrow. It was an exterior hallway with only a few windows showing the outside. Dean led Leon down the hallway to the left where he thought he'd heard the woman's heels click down earlier.

They ran, glancing through the porthole of every door they passed. Time was not on their side. In any moment Karen was going to be munchies for those monster babies.

The speakers blasted on again. " _I know you're out of your room boys. You can't stop what's coming. After they've fed on poor Karen... YOU'RE NEXT!"_

Dean looked over to Leon. His eyes were huge, like a deer caught in the headlights of a speeding car. Fortunately, he kept pace with Dean despite his fear. "Ignore her!" Dean shouted as they ran.

As they looked in the next door, Dean saw the woman standing in front of a control panel that looked like it was ancient. He pushed the door open with all his force and raced in, Leon right behind him.

Before the woman could even turn around, Dean tackled her to the ground. Leon quickly ran over to the controls, but had no idea how to operate them. "What do I do?" Leon screamed.

Dean was too busy to talk. He was on the ground, tussling with the woman. The fight was short-lived. As soon as the woman had gathered her senses, she easily overpowered Dean and kicked him across the room. He hit the wall with a hard thud and fell to the floor.

The woman was quickly on her feet and pushed Leon away from the control console with amazing strength, sending him soaring through the air and landing against the wall opposite Dean. She increased the speed of Karen's descent.

"CORDELIA!" Dean shouted. She turned to face him as he charged right into her, ready for round 2. They went to the ground and wrestled like animals. Leon stood up, back to his senses just in time to hear his grandmother let out an agonizing scream. He ran to the window.

Cordelia pinned Dean to the ground, she on top of him. She went berserk on him, beating him madly, punching him in the face, chest, arms, and clawing at his legs, stomach. Dean cried out in pain. He could see blood seeping through his tank top and from his legs. At the sound of the scream, a victor's smile crept across her face. Dean head-butted her, but instantly regretted it. It felt like he had rammed his head into iron. He lay back on the ground dazed. Cordelia stood and grabbed Leon by the throat and lifted him from the ground. He kept his eyes on the window. As she lifted him higher, he could see farther down into the room. What he saw horrified him. It felt as if someone had reached into his chest and squeezed his heart until it was nearly crushed. His grandma's corpse was torn apart between the horrid creatures. One had her arm in his mouth. Another her leg. Her torso lay on the ground, being torn apart by several of the creatures. Blood was soaking the floor and splattered around the walls. He went limp in Cordelia's clutches. He felt like there was nothing left to fight for. He had failed. His grandma was depending on him and he let her down. He began to lose focus on the world, lack of oxygen causing his sight to go dizzy and fade.

At that moment a shotgun blast boomed through the tiny room. Cordelia tossed Leon hard against the wall just before she smacked violently into the glass. Leon's head smacked hard against the metal wall. Dazed, he turned to the door. Sam stood in the doorway, shotgun in hand, and pointing at the mother monster. Cassie ran around Sam, through the doorway, and straight to Leon.

"Are you okay?" She cried. Leon tried to speak, but all he could do was cough. He felt like his throat had nearly been crushed. For all he knew, maybe it had been. He coughed and coughed. Cassie looked panicked. She looked around the room and back at Leon. "We need to get you outta' here."

She pulled Leon off the ground and helped him to the door as quickly as possible. As soon as she was clear, Sam shot another shell into Cordelia, who face-planted against the glass again. In an instant, he was at Dean, who was dazed and bloody on the ground.

"Come on, Dean! Hurry!" He shouted. Dean shook his head to clear the stars away. Grabbing Sammy's hand, he was pulled to his feet. Together they raced out of the room. "Bag!" Sam shouted.

Without missing a beat, Dean grabbed the duffle bag resting around the doorway in the hall, and they all raced down the hallway.

 _CRASH!_

They all paused at the sound of glass shattering and spreading across the floor. Dean and Sam met eyes. This was gonna' suck.

"RUN!" Dean shouted. The group ran as fast as they could down the hall. Dean and Sam brought up the rear, keeping their eyes open for what they knew was coming. Dean moved with relative ease, used to working and fighting through immense physical pain. It was part of being a hunter. Cassie struggled her best to help Leon move down the hall. She had his arm over her shoulders and was acting as a crutch for him, but it wasn't easy. She was shorter than him and lighter. They were moving too slowly!

The shrill screams of those awful monsters could be heard clearly. They were on the loose.

Sam turned to Cassie. "SWITCH!" He shouted. She took the shotgun from Sam as he lifted Leon up in his arms like he weighed no more than a pillow. With Leon in Sam's arms they were able to actually run down the hall.

"Crap." Dean said flatly. Everyone instantly knew the problem. The awful screams were echoing down the hallway and the clicking and clacking of sharp claws could be heard on the ground.

Within seconds the monsters were just behind them, dragging themselves quickly and primitively across the metal flooring. Cassie shot back at the creatures, but the kickback from the gun nearly sent her on her butt.

"Molotovs in the bag!" Sam shouted to Dean over his shoulder.

Running, Dean searched rapidly through the bag until he found the molotov cocktails and a lighter. He lit the first and tossed it at the monsters. It landed directly on two of them and they burst into flames, screaming and wailing as their skin bubbled and burnt. Their carcasses smoked on the ground.

Dean lit another and threw it back, but this time the monsters knew what they were dealing with. With primal grace, the creatures jumped and scurried around the burst of flames and continued the chase.

Cassie shot again, prepared for the kickback this time. Bullseye! Right in the head. Brain matter and fragments of skull spilled across the floor as the creature's body skidded to a stop on the floor.

The group all grimaced and looked back as a horrifying loud shriek could be heard resounding from the end of the hall. Loud thuds could be heard as something charged toward them.

"Run! RUN!" Dean shouted, throwing the last molotov in the middle of the hall, hoping to create a barricade between them and whatever was heading their way.

Cordelia emerged from behind her children and charged at the group. "You KILLED my CHILDREN!"

"Shit!" Dean shouted like a vulgar choir, holding the word out far longer than needed. "Go, go, go, go!" He waved his hands in the air gesturing for them to hurry.

She was gaining on them quickly. Sam brought Leon quickly through a doorway, having to turn sideways to fit him through. Cassie was close behind. Dean tossed the duffle bag on the ground and passed through the door, quickly turning around and slamming the door shut. He tightened the lock on it and ran, praying it held.

 _THUD!_

The door held the initial impact. They could hear the screaming and hissing of Cordelia through it. They raced down the narrow staircase toward the lower level as pounding echoed from the locked door. Dean knew the door wouldn't hold long.

"Almost there!" Sam shouted.

"Where?" Dean asked.

"Our boat!"

They reached the bottom of the stairs and made their way down the narrow hallway. A loud crashing could be heard from up the stairs. They knew what that meant. Cordelia was hot on their trail with her brood of nasties close behind.

Sam stopped at a door and kicked it open. It was a small emergency exit that led to the outside. Waiting in the water was a small motorboat.

"Where'd you get that?" Dean asked.

"Stole it!" Cassie shouted.

They all hopped in the boat and Sammy had it running in seconds. They launched away from Saint Satan's and drove toward the shore. Dean looked back at the open door where Cordelia stood, watching them and shrieking. Just when he thought they were safe, Cordelia dove into the water.

As the boat sped away, Dean kept his eyes fixed on the water behind them. Cordelia was in there somewhere. But where?

As the boat raced through the water, Dean saw a dark figure swim behind the boat under the water's surface.

"It can't be..." he mumbled. He knew it was. "Come on!" He complained.

Cordelia jumped out of the water like a great white shark, and grabbed for Dean. He pulled back, just in time, and watched as her clawed hand zipped by, far too close to his neck. He watched as she descended back into the water. He could barely believe his eyes. She wasn't human anymore, not that she ever was. But now it was obvious. She had the body of the woman she was, but instead of legs, she now had a massive fish tail. She was like some sorta' awful fish monster. She was something neither of them had ever seen.

"What the hell was that?" Sam shouted back, looking in the boat's back-facing mirrors.

"I don't know!" Dean shouted. "The Little Mermaid?"

The boat approached land and Sam was forced to slow its speed. Dean watched warily for the monster, but saw no sign of her. He kept watch as Sam parked the boat and helped the other two off. Once they were safely disembarked, he joined them, and they jumped in the stolen Buick Century. Peeling out of the dock's parking lot, Sam drove them back to the motel, making sure no one was trailing them.

Once safely parked, Sam carried Leon into the motel room with Cassie and Dean. They all tried to calm down as the adrenaline pumped through them. What the hell were they dealing with?


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter 28

Sam placed Leon on the bed on the far end of the room. He had passed out in his arms and was still out cold. His hit against the wall must have really left a bump. He pulled his shoes off and tucked him in.

"How is he?" Cassie asked walking over to her sleeping brother.

Sam gently tilted his head and looked at the injury. There was a substantial bump on the back of his head. Sam winced and touched it carefully.

"It's gonna' hurt." Sam said, pointing at the large bump. "But I think he'll be fine."

Cassie sighed loudly. "That's a relief." She sat down on the bed, looking physically relieved to hear that Leon hadn't sustained any permanent damage. She looked back up at Sam. "I guess I should be getting him home."

"Not happening." Dean commanded from across the room, crossing his arms across his chest. "She knew your name. She knew your grandma. I think it's a good assumption she knows your house too."

"How would she know those things?" She asked, confused and concerned. She looked disgusted at the idea of that woman knowing her family. Dean just shrugged. She sighed and let her head fall back, looking at the ceiling. "What do we do then?" She placed her head in her hands and took a deep breath. "How can this really be happening?" She looked devastated.

Sam sat next to her, being careful not to disturb Leon, and placed an arm around Cassie. "Just take some deep breaths. This whole situation is a lot to take in." He was giving her those big hazel puppy-dog eyes that only he could. Dean smiled. _Leave it to Sammy to make a girl's tears dry._ He was proud of his little brother. He watched him comfort Cassie for a moment. _I wish I could make people feel good like he can. He's just a better guy. Nicer. Smarter._ His features darkened at the next thought. _Safer._ He remembered how dangerous he was as a demon. He was a wild dog, tearing apart anyone that came close to him. He remembered the tight grip he had on the hammer as he chased Sammy down the hallways of the Men of Letters' hideout. He jumped back to reality at Sam very intentionally clearing his throat at him.

Dean crossed the room, trying to cover up his mental check-out. "It's gonna' get worse too." She looked up at Dean with a face that was begging him to tell her he was just joking. "We still gotta' gank the thing." Dean said with an apologetic frown. "Sorry, but it's not over yet."

Sam looked at Dean with his sad eyes. They both knew how hard this must be for these kids. "Why don't you stay here tonight?" Sam asked Cassie. She looked up to Dean like she was wanting permission; like a child looks at mom to make sure what dad said is really okay.

He hesitated for a moment. He knew this meant giving up the one good thing about this motel room: his bed. A moment of awkward silence lingered in the room as Dean weighed out the options. _One, the girl might die... two, I lose my bed..._ The choice was tough. Beds were the only luxury a hunter had. "Fine." He caved in, throwing his arms up in the air.

"Thank you!" She was clearly relieved. The thought of walking back to the house, or even staying in it without Sam and Dean had her almost physically shaking in fear.

"You can take my bed." Sam patted the bed they were sitting on. "I'll sleep with Dean."

Dean looked at Sam, an eyebrow raised. "You will?" He asked sounding shocked by the proposal. "I like my personal space."

"Come on, Dean." Sam pleaded. "I'm not sleeping on the floor!"

"Shoulda' thought about that before you started throwing out invitations." Dean lectured. Sam sighed, his shoulders dropping. He shook his head, like he couldn't believe his brother's attitude.

"I'm sorry Sam. I didn't mean to cause you trouble. We'll just go home." Cassie said softly, her attitude deflated completely.

Dean looked up at the ceiling, rolling his eyes, and sighed heavily. "Fine." He looked at Sammy. "Guess you're bunking with me, baby bro." Sam smiled at him. "Just like old times. You're not still scared of the monster in the closet are you? You used to pee the bed because you were too afraid to go to the bathroom." Dean smirked.

"Dean..." Sam said, his cheeks blushing.

"Okay." Cassie said kinda' awkwardly. Dean laughed out loud. Picking on Sam was too fun! "Well, if you're okay with it, I'm going to head to bed. I'm exhausted. I can barely keep my eyes open." She announced through a deep yawn, making her hard to understand.

"Yeah, yeah." Dean said waving her off. He rubbed his shoulder, wincing in pain. He had taken quite the beating in the ship. It was all starting to catch up with him. Dried blood covered his face, a badge showing his defeat.

Cassie leaned over her big brother and pulled his shirt off. Dean and Sam looked over at her. She felt their eyes on her and looked back. They were staring at her with questioning faces. She looked back at her now half-naked brother, then back at the brothers and smiled. "Nothing weird. He just never sleeps with a shirt on. So I...just..." she trailed off. She swallowed hard, trying not to cry. "Just thought he might not want it on."

"You're a good sister." Dean said with a smile. "Do you sleep without a shirt too?"

"Dean!" Sam scoffed and elbowed him in the side. He buckled over in pain. "Whoa, sorry dude. How bad did that thing get you?"

"I'm fine." Dean grumbled, holding his side.

Cassie crawled under the covers next to her brother and settled in. She looked over to bid the brothers goodnight, but saw they were enthralled with each other. She rested her head down on her pillow and closed her eyes, trying to tune the guys out.

"Let me see." Sam insisted lifting up Dean's shirt. He quickly resisted and pulled away. "Dean. Let. Me. See."

"What are you, my mother?" Dean paused, having regretted bringing up their mother in such a tone. He turned and walked toward the bathroom. "I'm fine."

"Dean, we don't know what's going to happen next. I need to make sure you're fine."

"Just bruised, dude." Dean sounded irritated. Sam sighed. He was as stubborn as their father. Sam spent hours a day, it seemed, arguing with their dad when he was younger. Now he spent his time arguing with Dean. Something about the Winchesters made it impossible to accept help without bitching first.

"Dean, just let me help."

"Just drop it" Dean said sternly, pointing at Sam. Sam noticed his wrist had a pretty deep cut.

"Look. You're hurt." Sam nodded toward the wrist.

Cassie, unable to sleep through the bickering, lifted her head up and about bit both of their heads off. "Would you just let him look you over, Dean! For crying out loud, let him be your little brother for just one minute!" She slammed her head back down on the pillow, annoyed. "Gosh!'

Dean and Sam both stood, frozen. Her yelling caught them both off-guard. Eyes wide, they looked at each other. _What did she mean by that? Do I not let Sammy be my brother? He's always my brother, isn't he? Am I that bad?_ Dean finally spoke in a low voice. "Fine."

Sam grabbed some hydrogen peroxide and some bandages from their medical kit and went over to their bed. "How bad is it?" Sam asked.

"I don't know. I haven't looked yet. I just got thrown around some." Dean sighed. "And punched... and kicked."

"That all?" Sam asked, cracking a smile.

"Cut too." Dean said, lifting his wrist up and waving it back and forth. His big green eyes stared into Sam's.

"It looks like you're bruising up."

"How bad?" Dean asked. "Will I still be pretty?"

"Well, the pretty thing's still out for verdict..." Sam and Dean chuckled."...but I think the bruising will go down pretty quickly. Let me look you over."

Dean let out a sigh, but obliged. He stood up and removed all his clothes, except his boxer-briefs. Sitting back down, he let Sammy check his wounds. Sam knelt down and looked him over and winced, seeing big bruises and cuts all over him. His back was bruised, his legs, arms, and chest were beaten black and blue, plus there were claw marks all over.

"What happened?" Sam asked.

"Nothing. We've seen worse."

Sam laughed. "Well, yeah. We've seen each other die. I watched you get mauled apart by a hellhound. But I'm still curious. You look like you should be in a hospital. How did you run out of the boat like this?"

"Like I said. We got in a fight. It hurt, but I couldn't stop. I had to keep fighting, for the kids. For you. I knew if I didn't move my ass, you wouldn't move yours either. Then who would watch out for them?" Dean explained, then looked back at Cassie and Leon, and leaned into Sammy and whispered. "She killed their grandma. Fed her to the weird littler monsters. She called them her children."

"Oh man..." Sam breathed out heavily. "Poor lady."

"Poor kids." Dean said.

"No kidding. It seems like they just can't catch a break."

"Remind you of anyone?" Dean asked.

"Us." Sam chuckled. "But they don't have Dad like we did when the shit hit the fan."

"True." Dean nodded. "But I think they'll make it."

"I hope so."

"They will."

"How do you know?"

"Because they're like us." Dean smiled. "They have each other." Dean stood up in front of Sam and looked down at him as he knelt in front of him. "Siblings always take care of each other."

Sam smirked and carefully poured the hydrogen peroxide on his older brother's thighs, knees, and shins. The cuts bubbled up like the volcano a kid makes for his science project. Dean clenched his teeth. It hurt. Sammy then grabbed Dean's wrist and carefully poured the hydrogen peroxide on it, dripping some on the floor. Dean winced as it bubbled up on his wound, almost like it was literally eating the bacteria away. Once it was finished sizzling, Sammy wrapped the bandages around his legs and wrist. "That okay?"

Dean nodded and tousled Sammy's hair. Then froze and made a confused face. "Sorry. I don't know why I just did that."

Sam laughed. "I don't think you've done that since I was like 10."

"Probably cuz' I can't ever reach your head you friggin' giant." Dean joked as he climbed into bed. "I guess it's gonna' be like we're kids again. Messin' up your hair, sitting around in our boxers, and sharing a bed." Dean shook his head. "Weird."

He thought back to their childhood. _It's the night of Sammy's seventh birthday. Dad never came home to celebrate. Dean had tried to make him a birthday cake, but they didn't have all the ingredients, so instead he just stuck a candle in the middle of a pile of Sammy's favorite cereal that Dean had poured for him. Sammy couldn't understand why Dad wouldn't come home. Dean hadn't seen Sammy act so hurt in all his life. It was worse this time because Dad had promised he would be there._

 _"I'm just gonna' go to bed." Sammy tells his big brother. He walks toward the bed of their grungy motel with his head hung low and his shoulder drooping._

 _"It's your birthday. You can stay up as late as you want. We can watch t.v. I bet there's cartoons on." Dean tries to cheer him up._

 _"I'm not in the mood." Sammy answers without even looking at Dean. He kicks his pants off and his shirt, and climbs into bed wearing just his underwear._

 _Dean watches, wishing there was something he could do. Sammy turns the lights off and goes to sleep. Dean strips to his boxer-briefs and goes to bed, but can't sleep. He's too worried about Sammy. He just wants him to be happy._

 _He ponders what he can do to cheer up Sammy; what excuse he can make up for Dad that Sammy will accept and cheer up. There isn't one. His thoughts are interrupted by the sound of Sammy sniffling and crying. Dean looks over at his brother in the dark and an idea is sparked in his mind._

 _He reaches under his bed for something that Sammy will love, and crosses the room, climbing into bed with Sammy. Sammy turns and wraps his arms awkwardly around Dean for a hug._

 _"I have something for you." Dean says with a smile._

 _"What?"_

 _"A birthday present." He pulls an action figure out from behind his back. "I know you want him."_

 _"G.I. Joe! But you said that you would hurt me if I ever took him. You didn't want to share him." Sammy says, confused._

 _Dean sighs. He kicks himself for saying something so mean to his brother. "I would never hurt you, Sammy. You know that, right?"_

 _Sam hugs Dean hard. "Yeah. Except when I steal your toys." They both laugh a little._

Dean woke back to reality as Sam snapped his fingers in his face. Dean met his eyes and hated what he saw. Sam was giving him the "What the hell?" look. Dean just shrugged. "I was just thinking back to when we were kids. It was just like this." He played it cool. _You frickin' liar, Dean. 'I would never hurt you, Sammy' my ass... You tried to kill him._ Dean watched as Sammy brushed off Dean's little adventure in mental land as if he wasn't worried. But Dean knew he was. He would hear about this...sometime.

Sammy smiled. "I guess so." He kicked his jeans off and pulled off his shirt. "You know, Dean..." He climbed into bed. "I remember climbing into bed with you when we were little cuz' I was scared."

Dean rolled over and looked at his kid brother, all grown up. "Me too. You were always scared." He smirked.

Sam laughed, remembering all the stupid things he was scared of: the dark, being alone, raccoons, spiders, rats, loud noises, thunderstorms... the list went on and on. "Can't argue with that." He sighed. "Really, Dean. Thank you."

"Oh no!" Dean protested. "No chick-flick moments."

"Dude. We just had a moment. It's too late. Lemme' finish."

Dean sighed like he hated it, but actually enjoyed the time he spent with his little brother. Even the chick-flick moments. "Fine." He grumbled.

"Thank you for always being there for me. You probably raised me more than Dad did. So, thank you. Thank you for checking my closet when I was scared, and under the bed. Thank you for staying up until I was asleep." Dean was nodding, remembering fondly all the things Sam was talking about. "Thank you for still being here for me. Please know I'm here for you too."

"You forgot to mention when I cleaned your sheets cuz you wet the bed." Dean laughed a little.

Sammy sighed, blushing again. "Yeah, yeah... thanks for that too."

"You done?" Dean said, sounding bored by the conversation.

"Yeah." Sam said quietly, looking into Dean's eyes. "Just... thanks for always taking care of me."

"Good." Dean said. _Great job taking care of him, Dean-O. You only tried to crush his head into pieces with a hammer. On top of when you beat the crap out of him for following you. And the terrible things you said to him..._ Dean refocused and saw Sammy still looking deeply into his eyes. Unable to take the guilt, he rolled over to go to sleep. He couldn't look at Sammy, not after all he had done to him. Not after he had failed him so terribly...

Disappointed at his brother's uninterested, disconnected response, Sam pursed his lips in a frown, and rolled over to sleep.

"You're welcome." Dean said quietly over his shoulder. "You're my little brother. I'll always be here for you." _Try to actually mean it this time..._

With that said, the room went quiet. Sam smiled and closed his eyes. They needed the rest, both emotionally and physically. Tomorrow was a big day. They still had a lot to do in this town.

"She still doesn't know." Dean whispered.

"What?"

"That her grandma's dead." Dean propped himself up on his elbow and looked back at his brother. "Tomorrow's gonna' be hell for her."

"Good thing we're here." Sam whispered. "We gotta' make sure this thing is stopped. These kids have suffered enough."

"You got that right." Neither spoke for several seconds. Dean finally lay back down. "Good night, Sammy."

"Night."

"Don't get any kinky ideas tonight. Hands off the merchandise."

Sam smiled. "No promises." He purred, spanking Dean with a laugh.

"Bitch." Dean muttered over his shoulder.

"Jerk."


	29. Chapter 29

Chapter 29

Dean woke up to the sun burning his eyes, even though they were closed. He opened his eyes, peeved he was awake this early in the morning. _Why iss it that the light always manages to shine right into my face no matter where I sleep? Whatever._ _I won't be falling back to sleep now._ He looked over to his side with a groan. Sammy wasn't in bed anymore. He looked over to the corner of the room. Sammy was sitting, still clad only in his light blue boxers, having a staring contest with his laptop. Dean watched. At this rate, it seemed like Sammy might actually win.

"Blink, dude." Dean said. Sam looked at him like he was doing something wrong, and nodded his head toward the other bed. Dean looked over. Leon and Cassie were still sleeping. Dean mouthed "Oh" as he nodded his head in understanding and climbed slowly out of bed. He cringed as each part of his body ached from the various bruises. Now he knew how Rocky must have felt, only this was real. He smirked. At least his face was still intact. _At least I hope it is._ The thought worried him. He needed a mirror. He didn't know what he'd do if he looked as messed up as Rocky did after his big fight.

He looked over at Sammy, who was just watching him as he struggled out of bed. "What?" Dean asked giving Sammy his best "Lay-off" face. "Hoping for a tip slip?"

Sam puffed out air and shook his head. "Not in the least." Sometimes he couldn't figure out how they were related. He went back to his laptop, but kept one eye on Dean as he moaned and groaned through each short movement he made. His body must have been stiff from sleeping as his aches and pains worked on healing.

"What are you looking at?" Dean asked. "Porn?" He smirked. He cracked himself up sometimes.

"Hilarious." Sam said flat-faced, dismissing his joke. "I'm researching."

"Looking into our sea monster?"

"Yeah."

"Was it just me, or did that thing seem a little Disney to you?" Dean asked with a smile.

"You mean, like a mermaid?"

"Exactly. Whatever the little red-haired mermaid girl's name is." Dean said, spinning his hand, index finger extended, in a circle like he was trying to jog his mental cogs into action.

"Ariel." Sam said matter-of-factly.

"Yeah, you always did like that girly stuff as a kid." Dean walked to Sammy and looked over his shoulder at the laptop.

"Dude, your breath smells." Sammy said, waving his hand in front of his nose. Dean leaned in to Sammy and breathed out heavily like an old smelly dragon, all over his face. Sam coughed and pinched his nose closed, but couldn't hold back his smile. "Gross!"

"You know you love me."

"Do I?" Sam laughed.

"You do." Dean placed a hand on Sammy's shoulder. "Watcha' got on our little mermaid."

"There's a lot of lore. It's hard to make out what's just popular fiction and what's the real deal."

"What's out there?"

"Well, this website says that they are only vulnerable when the tide's low. Another says on a full moon, like a werewolf. Others talk about various herbs and plants acting like poison to them." Sam explained, sounding a bit overwhelmed by all the information he'd read.

"You don't sound convinced." Dean looked at him questioningly.

"I'm not." Sam said plainly. "It all sounds too farfetched."

"Yeah, cuz we're in the business of normal." Dean jested.

"I did find this website." Sam clicked up an old, but legitimate looking website. "It isn't written like the others. All the others sound like Wikipedia articles, but this one is written at a more professional level. It just seems more serious."

"So we go with this one?"

"That's my bet."

"And what's it say?"

"Well, it says mermaids are vicious creatures, closely related to sirens." Sam explained, sounding a bit too much like a college professor for Dean's taste. "Like sirens, the mermaid's song has mystical powers too. See, sirens used to lure ships into dangerous or rocky waters by singing-"

"I know what sirens are, Sam." Dean grunted defensively.

"Okay, anyway, the mermaid is similar. They also can sing to lure people in. But it says, that unlike the siren, the mermaid can also use its appearance to lure people in. It has an unnatural beauty that entrances people to it."

"But if that's the case, why didn't she entrance us?"

Sam's brows furrowed. "I'm not sure. But it might be how she got the rest of the victims..." His voice trailed off as he read more on the laptop screen. "It also says that they eat the flesh of man."

"Typical." Dean scoffed.

"Yeah... This story here says that fishermen would know that a mermaid was around when the fish were all missing." Sam looked at Dean.

"So? You think it's like when we didn't find any fish around the reef?"

"They called it Aquarius' Song."

Dean's eyes lit up. "Isn't that what that old fisherman said to me the other day? They didn't catch any fish either."

"Exactly."

"So maybe this website is the real deal." Dean praised.

"Maybe..." Sam mumbled as he read more. "It doesn't say anything about a mermaid laying eggs or cocoons or whatever."

"So they don't have everything. Do they ever?" Dean dismisses. "How do we kill it?"

"Says here that a mermaid carried a conch shell that it carried its own mortality in. As long as that shell is around, the mermaid is invincible."

"But we killed a few of the babies just the other day."

"Yeah, I guess they were too young to have gotten a shell of immortality or whatever."

"Speaking of them..." Dean paused. "I think those were the missing people."

"Me too." Sam sighed. "I could see the people's features in the mermaids, they were just a bit mutated or whatever. Do you think there's any way to save them?"

"You're the one with the research." Dean shrugged. "You tell me."

"There's nothing on here about children or cocoons or anything."

"Doesn't sound good."

"I know. What do we do?"

"They're monsters now, Sammy. We gank 'em, just like any other job." Dean stretched his arms out in the air showing he didn't like what he had to say, but there was no other option.

"I guess."

"So after this shell or whatever is taken care of..." Dean trailed off to let Sam fill in the blanks.

"Then we get ourselves a legitimate shark's tooth." Sam sighed the words. "However we're going to do that."

"I'm sure there's a store that sells them." Dean said straight. "We just buy one."

"It's gotta' be real and it's gotta' be fresh, Dean. It says it's the shark's life force in the tooth that kills the mermaid. Not just the tooth itself."

"Any chance either of them know how to deep sea fish?" Dean faked a smile and nodded back at the sleeping siblings.

Sam laughed in disbelief. "For sharks? He shook his head. "Doubtful."

"Yeah, I figured not, too." Dean sat next to his brother at the table. "So, I guess we figure out how to get a shark's tooth."

"Like you said: fishing." Sam said plainly. Dean had a devilish grin, like he was too excited about something. "What?"

"We'll be like that show, Deadliest Catch."

"No, we won't." Sam couldn't understand the way his brother's mind worked, but played along. "More like America's Funniest Home Videos."

"Maybe we'll win the cash prize. You gotta' camera?"

Sam stood up, shaking his head. "We're not filming this." He walked into the bathroom. "I'm getting ready. We need to get started. Today is 'officially' the first day of tourist season. Things are about to get more serious than they already were."

Dean watched as his brother turned the shower on and closed the door. "You might want some clothes. We have a girl here, remember?" He grinned as Sammy cracked the door open, peering over at Cassie, making sure she was still asleep. She was. He crept out, holding a towel loosely around his waist with one hand, and went to their duffel bag. Dean whistled at him. "Hey sexy, remember me? You sleep with me and don't even stay for breakfast?" Sam gave Dean his 'Sam's annoyed face' and grabbed his clothes before retreating quietly back to the bathroom. "Call me!" Dean winked just before the bathroom door slammed shut. He laughed. _I really do crack myself up._

Sammy, having heard his brother laughing hollered back through the closed door. "It wasn't funny."

"It was a little funny." Dean threw out his catch-phrase and smiled. He knew Sammy was smiling on the other side of the door.

Sore, he lay back down on the bed and exhaled a deep breath and mumbled to himself. "Sharks. I guess we're hunting sharks... why couldn't it be guppies or something..."


	30. Chapter 30

Chapter 30

Leon's eyes fluttered as he woke up. He groaned. His head felt like there was a jackhammer inside going berserk. He pinched his forehead, trying to force the pain to subside. It didn't work. Without hearing him coming, Sam was standing over him with a couple pills in his hand.

"What are they?" Leon asked.

"Max strength ibuprofen. For the headache."

"What happened?"

"You got in a fight." Sam chuckled a bit. "What do you remember?"

Leon sat up and swallowed the pills. "Not much. We were in a warehouse. Then, a boat..." His eyes shot wide open. "Grammah!" He looked to Sam, hoping he would tell him it wasn't true. "That woman killed my grammah!"

Cassie woke up and rolled over. "What?" She sounded very concerned.

Leon turned to his sister and grabbed her hand. "Cassie..."

"What?" She was starting to cry.

"Grammah's... Grammah's dead." He whimpered. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry, Cassie."

"No...No!" Cassie wailed and fell into Leon's arms.

"We tried to save her." Leon cried.

Sam looked over at Dean, who nodded him toward the door. Sam nodded. He turned to Leon and Cassie. "I'll give you two some time. If you need anything, we'll be right outside." They didn't seem to even notice him speaking. He quietly got up and scurried out the door.

Dean was waiting outside. Sam approached him. He looked anxious or something. "What's up?" Sam asked concernedly.

"We don't have time for this." Dean belted out.

"Time for what?" Sam asked almost in a shout. He was pretty sure he knew what was bothering Dean, but Sam couldn't be so insensitive.

"This!" Dean yelled, gesturing toward the motel room with his hand. "Tourists are going to be packing this city any time!"

"I know, Dean, but these kids need time to grieve. They just lost their brother, now their grandmother. Plus, they have no parents!" Sam's voice grew louder as he argued. "We can't just tell them to force it down and move on."

"Why not? No one ever gave us time for ANYTHING!" Dean hollered. His face was turning red. "Who let me grieve when you died? Who gave us time to grieve mom? How about when Dad died? Or Bobby?" Dean was on the verge of crying. His lips were quivering. Sam could tell he was both angry and sad. At this point, he knew there was no 'right' thing to say. Dean was gonna' fight him.

"But don't you wish someone _had_ given us time? Had given us shelter?" Sam told him what he knew Dean felt.

"Of course, but they _didn't_!" Dean hollered. "Not because they were mean. Because there was no time! We couldn't! There was work to be done, just like there is _now_!"

"So what do you want to do, Dean?" Sam pleaded for a sensible answer from his older brother.

"Get to work! We have a mermaid to kill. We know how to do it."

"Yeah, but we need a shark's tooth. How are we getting that?"

Dean's head fell down to his chest and he huffed. "I don't know, Sammy..." He looked like he was about to cry. "Hunt one?"

"Hunt a shark?" Sam asked bewildered. "How?"

"I don't know. Those kids can show us." He gestured at the door again.

"You want to risk their lives in the water, with mermaids, shark hunting?"

"They've been risking their lives this whole time."

"Yeah, but I don't want them to have to." Sam argued.

Dean let out a deep sigh. "So what? We just sit around and watch as that mermaid and her puke kids tear apart this city one tourist at a time?"

"I don't know, Dean..." Sam sighed, like his brother. His voice got quieter. "I don't know..."

"Look Sammy. I know how I sound. I care about those kids. I do! But we just don't have time to coddle them. We need them and you know it. We don't know anything about the ocean. We need them to show us how to do this stuff."

"I know..." Sam looked up at the sky. It was blue and clear. It was hard to believe there was a tropical storm going on off in the gulf. He took a deep breath. "I know... I know you're right." He looked back at Dean. "Just...promise me we're not going to let anything happen to them."

"You know I can't promise that." Dean said with a hint of sadness. "All I can promise is that I'll do everything in my power to keep them safe." Dean looked at Sammy. Sam felt like he was looking into his soul. It made him hold his breath.

"I know you can't promise that. You can't even promise me that!" Sam yelled. "You spend most the day off in who-knows-where-land! It's getting worse!"

"What do you mean?" Dean asked, acting clueless.

"Don't, Dean." Sam ordered. "Don't play dumb. You know damn well what I'm talking about.

"I'm fine."

Sam pointed a finger sharply at him. "NO! You spent the entire night thrashing about, kicking me, shoving me, and sweating like a pig." His voice quieted. "You're not okay."

"Sam, I'm fine." Dean was getting irritated. "I am dealing."

"You're not!" Sam yelled as he walked at his brother. "You're sinking! You're drowning in this nightmare you live in."

"Stop it, Sam. Now is not the time." Dean pleaded.

Sam threw his arms out. "Then when _is_ the time? I don't even feel safe around you anymore." The words sent Dean into his mind. He pictured himself swinging that axe right at Sammy's head. _Why would he feel safe around me? I'm a murderer. I tried to KILL him. And I ENJOYED it!_

Dean was drawn back to the real world by a sharp pain as Sam smacked him across the face. Fury spread through Dean. He raised his fist and began throwing a punch at Sam, but stopped it mid-air. Sam was looking at him like he was insane. Like he had lost his mind. Like he was a monster. The dark voice in Dean's mind spoke to him. _You are a monster, Dean. You said you'd never hurt him. You said you meant it, Dean!_ "

"I..." Dean couldn't function. He was frozen with his fist raised in the air. His words were caught in his throat. "I... I..." Nothing would come out.

"You need help, Dean." Sam said, more calmly. "Let me help."

Dean cried. He wanted to tell Sammy so badly, but couldn't. _If I tell him, he'll never want to see me again. I can't let him know the terrible things I did._ "No." Was all Dean said.

"No?" Sam said, eyebrow raised like he couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"Just no. We don't have time for this. We have a hunt to finish. You're safe with me. You can trust me." Sam looked at Dean like he was crazy, but Dean ignored him and continued speaking. "I will not lose you." He shook his head. "I'm not that selfless. I need you and you know it. You're the only thing that anchors me in this world."

Sam stared at him, tears in his eyes. A pregnant silence lingered between them, like the moment a golfer experiences just before he takes his putt for the victory. Sam spoke quietly, but sternly. "You won't. I'm not going anywhere."

Dean exhaled deeply. "So..." He cleared his throat, forcing his tears to subside before he accidently let one fall. "What now?"

The motel room door opened. "Can you come look at Leon? I'm worried about his head." Cassie looked desperately at the brothers.

Sam looked at Dean for a moment. Dean looked like he had calmed down. Sam knew there was something deeper going on. It probably had to do with his time as a demon, but now wasn't the time to press him on the issue. He looked back at Cassie and nodded his head. "Sure." He took one more look at Dean, then back at Cassie. "I'm comin'."

Sam went back to the motel and knelt over Leon who was lying on the bed. "How bad's the headache?"

Leon winced. "It throbs with my heartbeat." He explained.

"I know that feeling. Lemme' take a look..." He motioned with his hand for Leon to turn around. Once he had turned, Sam placed his hand gently on the bump on the back of his head. Leon flinched at the touch. The bump was large, but it didn't seem like it was anything more than just a big bump. Sam turned him back around. "Here, look straight ahead."

Sam used the flashlight on his phone and checked Leon's eyes. Everything seemed okay. "It doesn't look like you have a concussion, and nothing seems broken. Just a big bump. The headache's going to suck for a while, but I think you'll be okay."

Leon nodded. "I can deal."

Cassie was visibly relieved to hear her brother was okay."Thanks Sam."

Sam nodded with a smile. "My pleasure." He looked at both the kids. They both looked exhausted and bereaved. There was no way they were alright, at least not emotionally. "How are you two holding up?"

"Not good." Cassie said. Leon nodded in agreement. "We just need some time to sort this all out, y'know?"

"Cassie-" Sam interrupted.

"No, listen. Let me finish." She cleared her throat and took her brother's hand in hers. "I really do appreciate you. We want to finish this with you. We want to help. But we just need some time. We're in no position mentally or physically to be with you. We'd just be a liability for you. Dean's right. You don't have time." She gestured out the door to where Dean was. "You need us. But only to explain what you need to do to catch a shark."

"You heard all that?"

"Just the yelling." Cassie smirked. Sam sighed. "Something about shark hunting. Leon and I'll tell you what to do and what you'll need. I can't say I've ever hunted sharks, but people around here do when there's a shark problem. I know the idea behind it."

"I don't want you to get hurt." He looked back and forth between them. "What we're about to do is dangerous. I'm glad you're gonna' take it easy. Leave this to us."

"I know it's dangerous. Trust me." Leon said. "I got my ass handed to me. I _know_ it's dangerous. That's why we don't want to be a liability to you. But give us a little time and we'll be back with you. We're gonna' help you 'gank' this thing." Sam sighed again.

"You'll let us help later, right Sam?"

Sam stood up and headed toward the door. "Yeah. Just take it easy and don't pressure yourself to get better too quickly. We'll try to keep you safe, but we can't stop everything. This is seriously dangerous. Lose your life kinda' dangerous. Only come back to help us when you're really ready." He looked back at them sternly. "Use your heads."

They both nodded. "What's first?" Leon asked.

"Not sure. We gotta' couple things to do. One: Find an ancient relic or something. Two: Hunt a shark."

They both looked at him like he was crazy. "Okay." They both said in unison. They both stood up and headed for the table.

Leon looked back at Sam. "Here's what you need to know about hunting sharks." Sammy smirked and shook his head. _Unbelievable._ He followed them to the table and watched as Leon wrote notes down on a loose piece of paper. This was going to be one hell of a day.


	31. Chapter 31

Chapter 31

Dean and Sam made their way to the pontoon docked behind the Tiki Torch Tavern, Sam carrying a large cooler. They looked at each other with intense eyes as they took in the beach scene. Things were worse. The beach was packed. Tourists were everywhere. What was once a peaceful beach to walk down now looked like party central. They both fit in with the crowd, by intention. They didn't want the mermaid to spot them before they were ready for her. Cassie and Leon were back at the motel making molotov cocktails according to the recipe that Dean had left them. Meanwhile, Sam and Dean were off to find the relic or sea shell that held the mermaid's mortality within it so they could destroy it.

Wearing only their swim shorts, like the rest of the men in the crowd, the brothers walked into the Tiki Torch Tavern. It was just as crowded as the beach. It was so unlike the Tiki Torch Tavern they were in earlier. Patrons crowded the area. Every single seat was taken, forcing many customers to stand and enjoy their drinks.

Sam and Dean took it all in. Sam pointed at a flyer on the wall."Maybe this is the reason?" The flyer was for a singer named Stella. She was performing that evening. The flyer made her seem like a pretty big deal. Maybe people were there in anticipation for the concert. Dean just shrugged. They had work to do!

They got to the pontoon and set the large cooler in it. They both headed to the changing room. Without Cassie or Leon around to lead the scuba dives, the place was entirely empty. They exchanged a couple nervous glances and started getting ready.

Dean pulled out Leon's suit and pulled the mask off. He did the same to Leon's spare suit. He held them up for Sam to see. "For communicating." Sam nodded.

He searched for a suit that fit him until he found it. He figured it was probably the same one he wore last time. There were only couple big enough for Sam and him. Dean pulled his shorts down.

"Ah, come on, Dean!" Sam stood shocked before his brother. "No underwear again?"

Dean smirked. "I thought you _wanted_ to see the goods. You slept awfully close to me last night" Dean winked at Sammy. He just laughed. "I'll give the same reason as last time. I don't want to be running around in wet underwear."

"So commando is better?"

"As long as we don't have to run a lot." Sam just smirked. His brother was insane.

Dean slipped on his scuba suit and got it zipped up. He stood and waited for Sammy to finish getting his on. "Okay, how do we do this?" Dean asked, unsure of how to hook up the oxygen tanks.

Sam grabbed an oxygen tank. The back of the scuba suit had a section of metal where the oxygen tank would rest and stay firmly. Then it would hook up to the tube that goes into the mask. Sam got Dean's prepared and then prepared his own.

"You sure this is right?" Dean asked nervously, trying to look over his shoulder to make sure everything looked okay. He couldn't see it, so he gave up. _I hope you know as much as you act like you do, Sammy._ Dean figured he just needed to trust his brother.

Dean grabbed the key to the pontoon that Leon had given him, and they both headed out to the boat. The water was still pretty rough, but they didn't really have a choice. They had to go out to the reef. It was the only place either of them could think of to start. It seemed so ancient and was definitely not a natural formation. Plus, they remembered all the shells around it.

With a turn of the key and a push on the throttle, the brothers were on their way. Sam watched the boat's compass and the map that Leon had left in the boat. The reef was X'd on it. Sam and Dean were both excellent with directions, so neither was worried about finding it, but they _were_ worried about what they might find once they were there. If the mermaid was there, they had no way of fighting it. They weren't ready yet.

The boat jumped from wave to wave. Looking out to sea, they could tell there was a tropical storm. The sky was much darker and cloudier at the horizon. The water was dark and rough with waves rushing into the pontoon, one after another. This was not going to be a fun dive.

Dean focused, trying to keep the pontoon fixed in one direction, heading toward the reef. The waves kept crashing into and rocking the boat, causing it to shift directions. He worked his hardest to keep the direction of travel straight, as Sammy held onto the railing by his seat to try not to be tossed overboard.

Dean parked the boat right where the X was. Looking out, all he saw was the rock nearby. No sign of trouble. Somehow, that didn't comfort him much. He looked around the boat. "There's no anchor." Sam looked at him like he was an idiot. "What?"

"It's a pontoon. Not a ship. An anchor would probably sink this little thing."

"How do we stop it from floating away."

"We don't. These things aren't made to be out on rough waters like this." Sam headed back and opened the big chest in the back, next to where the harpoon gun was kept. There were flares, food rations, first aid materials, rope, hooks, lights, vests, and other nautical emergency equipment. Sam took a light and some beacons and tied them together. He then tied the rope to the boat and turned the beacon lights on. They flashed with a steady rhythm. He tossed the beacon lights into the water. "There. Now we'll know where the boat is. Hopefully..."

"Good thinking." Dean complimented.

Having put their flippers on, they gave each other one last look over.

"Testing." Dean said into his mask's communicator. Sam gave him a thumbs up. "Test yours."

"Can you hear me?" Sam asked. Dean gave him a look of disappointment.

"What was that?" He scoffed.

"What do you mean?" Sammy asked thoroughly confused.

"You have to say _testing_ or it doesn't count." Sam just sent him his 'seriously?' face. Dean shrugged. "Those are the rules. Everyone knows that."

With a heavy sigh and his head shaking back and forth in disbelief, Sammy obliged. " _Testing_ " His voice was oozing sarcasm and misplaced emphasis. Dean nodded his head with the smile of a five-year-old. "Okay, let's do this." With those words, Sam jumped into the wavy sea with Dean right behind. As he splashed in, he was again amazed at how warm the water was. Even during a storm!

Under the water was rougher than the last time they dove around the reef, but it was still clear enough that they could find their way. Dean and Sam kicked their way down to the reef, but it was no easy trip. The water pulled them in one direction and then another as each wave passed over. They spent the swim peering back and forth to make sure they were actually alone. The last thing they wanted was for the mermaid to show up.

As they reached the reef, they marveled again at the structure. It was both haunting and beautiful, standing at the bottom of the sea so lonely. They swam a lap around the reef. Dean was already huffing. Swimming against these currents was tiring.

"Looks like we're alone." Sam said.

"Good." Dean said and spanked Sam. "I wanted you all alone."

"Get serious, Dean." Sam said sternly. His voice lightened. "I'm way out of your league."

Dean psh'd. "Yeah, right." He mumbled. "What are we looking for again?"

"The lore said a conch shell."

"Right, the one with the mortality in it, or whatever." Dean grumbled. "We're sure it's a conch shell?"

"That's what the website said." Sam explained. "But who knows? It could be any shell."

"I say we smash them all."

"Couldn't agree more." Sam said firmly.

Together, they swam to the center where they had seen all the shells. To their relief, the shells were still there. The rougher waters hadn't moved a thing. Dean began sifting through the pile of shells, looking for a conch shell. He looked at one shell after another, until he stopped. _I don't even know what a conch shell looks like..._

"What's a conch shell even look like?" Dean asked.

Sam started explain, but stopped himself. "What happened to just smashing them all?"

"Right." Dean said as he started pounding the shells with his fist.

"Careful. They can cut like glass."

"Did you bring a hammer or something?"

"No."

"Then I guess I do it this way." Dean resumed smashing the shells with his fists. Sam swam beside him and joined in. Together they looked like insane children pounding away at a nautical whack-a-mole.

There were so many shells, but they managed to punch their way to the bottom of the pile and they knew they had the right shell. A conch shell sat in the center of the reef, looking like it was resting on an altar. It was swirled, with little spikes on the top. On the outside it was a pale tan, but the inside was a vibrant pink. It looked like it wasn't going to be easy to crush, thick and sturdy.

Dean shrugged, ready for the pain, punched at it as hard as he could. He was right. It _did_ hurt. Unfortunately, the pain rewarded him nothing as the shell didn't break. It didn't even crack. He punched it a few more times. Nothing. Finally, he took his foot down on it. Again, nothing but pain.

"It's too tough." He gave up.

"We'll have to break it on the boat." Sam explained. "We'll be able to get more force out of the water." Dean nodded and grabbed the shell. Even holding it, the shell seemed special, almost mystical. He swam back toward the surface, keeping his eyes peeled for the flashing of the beacon lights. As the brothers approached the surface it was easy to spot the bright flashing lights. The pontoon had definitely moved, but not as much as they thought it would have.

Sam pulled himself into the boat and took the shell from Dean. As Dean climbed into the boat, Sam went to the back of the pontoon and grabbed the harpoon gun from the case. It was made of some sort of metal, and felt very sturdy. Using the butt of the gun, he smashed the conch shell on the floor of the boat. Fragments of the hard matter scattered across the metal floor of the pontoon. A faint light, almost like an angel's grace, floated up from the shell, like smoke from a campfire. One second it was there, the next it had dissipated into the salty air. The brothers removed their masks and watched it fade away.

Dean stood, eyes distant. Memories flooded his mind. He remembered fragments of something hard scattering across the hard floor like that. He watched the past. _His boot comes down hard on a young man's head, sending fragments of bloodied skull and brain matter across the hard tiled floor._ This felt like more than just a memory. It was like he was reliving the entire event. Like someone had hit rewind on life so he'd have to do it over again. He relived it, aware, but unable to control his own body. _The young man pleads and cries, but it means nothing to Dean. He wants to kill the man. He_ likes _killing. He watches himself smear the guts and gore from the bottom of his boot across the floor. He doesn't feel like someone who has just murdered a man. He wipes the gore off like he had accidently stepped in garbage, nothing more._

Sam watched as Dean stared off into space and trembled. Sam hollered for Dean and called his name as loudly as he could. Dean didn't respond at all. His eyes didn't even flinch for a second. He remained staring off, like he was watching a train wreck, but there was nothing there. Sam shouted more and waved his hands in Dean's face. Nothing.

 _Dean turns to the young man's female companion. Maybe a girlfriend, maybe a wife. It doesn't matter to Dean. She needs to die._ Dean wasn't sure why. Maybe Crowley had told him to. Maybe the guy crossed Dean. Or, maybe Dean just needed to get his thrills for the day. The thought made Dean sick. He almost felt like throwing up, but not a single part of his body responded. It was like he was in a trance. _The woman screams, but Dean just smiles, his eyes pitch black. She tries to run, but Dean catches her without breaking a sweat._ If there is one thing the hunter's life did give you, it was a fit, strong body. The woman didn't stand a chance.

Sam couldn't bear watching his big brother like this. Dean's eyes were frozen in fear and horror. He didn't know what to do. Nothing he tried woke Dean up. He grabbed Dean and shook him hard. Dean stood there, staring off at sea, at some imaginary thing that only he could see.

 _Dean has the woman by her hair. He's pulling so hard her scalp is starting to bleed. He doesn't care. She isn't anything to him, just a job, or a means of entertainment. He isn't sure anymore. She cries and squirms, but Dean is too strong. Irritated, he turns and socks her square in the nose. He can feel it break under his fist. The feeling brings a devilish smile to his mouth._ He was too good at this demon gig... It made Dean feel sick. How could he have ever done this? After all dad had taught him... After all the speeches Dean gave Sam about the important job of a hunter... Hunting things, saving lives. It didn't seem to matter anymore. After all the lectures he gave Sam about the dangers in using his psychic powers because they were given to him by a demon. The lectures he gave Sam about trusting and working with Ruby, the demon. Now Dean was the demon! He was the one not to be trusted. The one hurting people. It killed him inside. He felt worse than awful. If Sam knew what he had done... Dean knew he would never speak to him again. Sam could never find out.

Sam watched as Dean's face turned from horror to depressed. He looked broken. His whole body slouched, tears poured from his eyes, and he sobbed madly. Sam couldn't bear it. He cried too and shook his brother more. Finally, Sam, out of ideas, punched Dean across the face. Dean stumbled, but Sam caught him, embracing him tightly. Dean wasn't a huggy guy, but Sam thought he might need one right now. Dean did come to his senses, but never hugged Sam back. He just stood limp in his brother's arms.

Dean snapped out of Sam's arms. He looked around wildly. "Where are we?" Instantly, he regretted opening his mouth. It all came back to him quickly. They were ready to shark hunt.

"Out on sea, by Destin." Sam said worriedly. "Dean, you gotta' open up to me. You just had, like a _major_ freak out."

"I'm fine, Sammy." Dean growled. "Can't we just get to work."

"We're about to swim with sharks! Imagine what could happen if you lose your mind again in the water?" Sam shouted.

Dean looked at him, furious. He reminded Sam of a wild animal. Dean was pissed. "Lose my mind?" He said in a low, furious voice. "Is that what I'm doing? You think I've lost my marbles?" Dean's voice was getting louder and more heated. "Stupid Dean's lost his mind?"

"Dean, you know what I mean." Sam said, trying to slap a band-aid on the situation. Dean always got upset when Sammy made it sound like he was dumb. _Probably because Dean thinks he's dumb. He has a frickin' inferiority problem..._

"I'm not so sure I do." Dean retorted. "Please, explain to me what it is you _really_ meant."

"All I mean is that you've been having a lot of nightmares, and you've even started losing focus during the daytime." Sam explained carefully. "I gotta' know you're good for this. Otherwise you're a danger to yourself on this hunt."

Dean sat down on the boat's floor. His arms were crossed like a pouting child, but Sam knew better than to say anything to that nature. Dean was already furious.

"What are you doing?" Sam asked, trying not to get too annoyed.

"Guess I'm sitting this one out. Don't wanna' be a danger to myself or to you." Dean whined. "Go ahead without me, since _you_ got it all together."

"Come on, Dean. Don't be like that." Sam begged.

"Like what? Crazy? Insane? Like I've lost my mind?"

"I need you, man." Sam pleaded with him. "I always have and you know it. I can't do this hunt alone. I don't know how to hunt sharks. I'm gonna' need all the help I can get." He gave Dean his big hazel puppy-dog eyes. Unfortunately, Dean was the only person on this earth, it seemed, that could resist them.

Dean sighed and stood up. Sam felt relief wash over him. At least he didn't resist this time. "Fine." Dean said. "Let's get this over with."

"Thanks." Was all Sammy managed to say. _Anything else I'd say would just tick him off. Like, be careful, or anything along that manner._ Sam sighed. His brother was such a pain sometimes. Sam tried to change the subject. "So, I wasn't the only one that saw that weird light or smoke or whatever float out of the conch, right?" He smirked at Dean. Relief washed over Sammy as Dean smirked back. For a while there, Sam was afraid Dean might actually punch him or something. Sam shook his head. _Dean would never hurt me._ He knew that was true. If there was one thing Dean had always been, it was protective of his little brother.

"I'd take that as a good sign we got the right shell." Dean said, pulling at his wetsuit trying to loosen the clinging fabric from his skin. "Now just a shark's tooth to deal with."

"Yeah, that's all." Sam jested. He loaded up the harpoon gun. "This is gonna' suck." Dean smirked weakly and opened the cooler. Instantly his face changed to disgust as the stench of bloodied meat and guts wafted out. This really was going to suck.


	32. Chapter 32

Chapter 32

Dean dumped some of the bloody guts from the cooler into the water and closed one eye in revulsion. It was disgusting. It made an awful slosh noise as it splashed into the water. The dark blue waters were soon overtaken by a deep crimson as the blood spread. He looked to his little brother. "How much time do we give it?"

"I have no idea." Sam said with a shrug. "I've read a lot of things, but I gotta' say... hunting sharks is not one of them."

"What good are you?"

"Not much I guess." Sam chuckled. At least Dean had some of his sense of humor back, but Sam knew something was still bothering him. He also knew it had to wait. Now they needed to kill a shark.

They waited and watched the blood, Dean added some more guts on occasion just to keep it focused in the area. It didn't take as long as they thought it would before they heard a large splash. Something had surfaced quickly and gone back under. They both raced and peered in the direction of the splash. Water rippled out in a circle. Something had definitely been there. Dean tossed some more guts in.

His eyes widened as he spotted the dorsal fin of the shark slicing through the water. "That's a shark, right Sammy?"

Sam looked over the boat at the fin swimming through the reddened water. "What else would it be?"

"I don't know, a dolphin or something?"

"Dolphins are definitely native to these waters, but they don't swim around in blood and guts as far as I'm aware."

"Then I guess it must be a shark." Dean grabbed the harpoon gun. Sam lifted the case it was in and revealed three harpoons. "Guess I only get three shots." Dean smiled nervously.

"Don't miss." Sam said, making Dean all the more worried. _Talk about feeling the pressure._ He took aim at just below the dorsal fin and shot. The harpoon bulleted into the water without a splash or even much of a noise. To Dean's dismay, the dorsal fin continued through the water as if nothing had happened. _Guess that means I missed..._

Sam gave him a disapproving face and handed him the next harpoon. "Only two shots, now." He reminded Dean. Dean looked at him irritated.

Dean took aim as Sammy dumped some more guts in. He looked in the cooler. There weren't many left. Part of Sam felt relief at that. This whole hunting trip was insane.

The shark was in a feeding frenzy. _I know how ya' feel, buddy._ Dean thought. _Sometimes it does seem like there's nothing more important in this world than eating. Like when you get that triple-patty bacon cheeseburger. Oh yeah... I'd tear into that thing like a... well, I guess like a shark._ He smiled at the shark, feeling somehow connected.He _could_ scarf down with the best of them.

With his harpoon pointed carefully, Dean took his shot. _Sorry, food buddy._ Another miss. _You gotta' be kidding me! It's near impossible to aim through all this blood._ Blood. Blood. His mind wandered to blood. He had loved blood. He had loved making people lose blood. He could picture his knife in the chest of someone. Dean swallowed hard. He could almost feel the guilt, like poison going down his throat.

"DEAN!" Sam shouted. Dean snapped back. He held an empty harpoon gun as Sam held out the last harpoon. Dean loaded it for the last shot. He sighed. _Make it count!_

Sam dumped the rest of the guts in, keeping the shark interested. He looked out. A second fin cut through the water, smaller than the first. "Great." He sighed sarcastically. "Now there's two."

"More to aim at." Dean said, trying to keep the mood high.

The big fin came back up and swam toward the newly dropped guts, straight toward the boat. Dean aimed and shot. The harpoon stopped before going underwater, and the fin sharply changed direction. He'd hit!

"Now do we wait for it to die?" Dean asked.

They watched as the shark spun back around and headed back to the bloodied water. It wasn't done eating. "Apparently, it's not hurt too much to keep eating." Sam stated, surprised by its determination.

"You can never be too hurt to eat." Dean quipped as he looked over at his brother with a smirk.

"You can be dead." Sam said flatly. "Why isn't it dead?"

"I don't know. Maybe the harpoon didn't sink in deep enough?"

Sam sighed. "You're probably right." They both sat and watched. Aside from the initial shock, the shark seemed to be swimming as if it hadn't been blown any damage. _This sucks!_ Dean thought in denial. _How can it still be alive? It's got a frickin' spear in it._

Looking out to the shark, he couldn't believe he was going to do this, but Sam pulled his mask down and got ready to jump in. Someone had to finish this thing off. It certainly wouldn't kill itself, and they needed that tooth.

"What are you doing?" Dean asked in a panic.

"Goin' in there."

"And you called _me_ crazy?" Dean's eyes were wide.

"Someone's gotta' kill that thing."

Dean growled at nothing in particular, just the shitty situation. "This sucks!" He yelled, pulling his mask over his face. They checked to make sure that their suits were still in working condition and looked out to sea. There were still only two sharks, at least that they could see.

"Here we go." Dean said. "You know you're just as crazy as me, right?"

Sam laughed. "Here we go." He jumped in, Dean following suit. They both swam quickly to the bottom, where the blood hadn't reached, so they could see. Looking up, they could see both the sharks finishing off the remainder of the gore they had poured in. It was now or never.

"We gotta' find those harpoons." Sam instructed.

"I know where one is." Dean gloated.

"We need the other ones." Sam explained. "We gotta' spear it."

Dean understood and they searched the ocean floor for the harpoons. Every few seconds he glanced up. The sharks were still enjoying their meals. _Good, just keep on eating, boys. Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain..._

"Here!" Dean hollered as he found one harpoon, lodged into the sand at the bottom of the sea, sticking out like a grave marker. He swam down and grabbed it. "Where's the other?"

"I don't know!" Sam yelled through the communicators.

"You're serious about this spearing thing?" Dean hesitated.

"Yeah, gimme' it and I'll do it."

"Hell, no." Dean protested firmly. "You'll get yourself killed." He just hoped he didn't get himself killed. He looked back up. The sharks were gone. None of the gore remained, save the bloodied water, but even that was dissipating at a steady rate.

"Where are they?" Dean looked around. "I don't see 'em."

"LOOK OUT!" Sam hollered. Dean swirled around in the water and saw what could potentially haunt his dreams for the rest of his life, however short that might be. An enormous shark swam straight at him. It was over twice as big as Dean and obviously much better at swimming. Its beady black eyes looked at him like a creepy doll, nothing there. Just black. Dean saw his own eyes in them. Black eyes. He had black eyes once. Back when he was a demon. He remembered murdering those innocent people. He didn't show mercy, not ever. Not even to children. He killed and killed.

"DEAN!" Sam shouted at the top of lungs through the communicators. The volume jolted Dean awake with pain in his ears. He saw the shark swimming right at him, mouth open wider than he ever imagined it could open. Rows of dagger-sharp teeth greeted him with hungry, murderous intent. Bits of flesh and blood stained the chompers as they grew larger, right toward Dean.

He pushed as hard as he could with his arms and legs at the last second, and barely dodged the brunt of the shark's attack. As it swim by, far too close, Dean could see the harpoon he had shot it with earlier. It was lodged into the right side of its head, behind his devilish eye. There was a small trail of blood seeping out from it.

The shark did a U-turn, heading right back at Dean. This time Dean was ready. He raised the spear and prepared to attack.

Meanwhile, Sam watched the whole ordeal as he searched for the remaining harpoon. "I can't find it, Dean!" He shouted. "Be careful!"

"I'm doin' my best here!" Dean hollered back, keeping his eyes fixed and harpoon ready. The shark swam at him, stretching its monstrous maw open. Dean quickly dodged it, spearing it in the side opposite of the first harpoon. As he kicked his legs to distance himself from the shark as it swam by, the shark took a sharp turn and the back end of the harpoon snagged onto the legging of his wetsuit. He was caught!

The shark swam fiercely, trying to get Dean off of him, but Dean was pulled violently behind the shark as his wetsuit was caught on the harpoon. Dean was so close he could make out the details on the shark. It must have been a tiger shark because he could see stripes on its back. It seemed like a logical guess.

"Dean!" Sam yelled, having seen Dean being pulled behind the shark. There was a trail of blood leaking out behind the shark. It wasn't going to last long at this rate. It would bleed out. Sam looked around. He saw no sign of the other shark. Where had it gone? _Hopefully somewhere far away..._

Reaching frantically for the harpoon stuck in his suit's leg, Dean struggled to free himself. He finally got his hand around the harpoon and tugged. It wasn't coming out. He pulled and pulled, until the legging of his suit tore. Once the tear began, the shark finished it. Changing directions, it tore the fabric entirely off of his leg. Free from the shark, Dean turned to swim away. The shark turned sharply and was after him! Dean was unarmed, and unprepared to fight the shark.

"Dean! Look out!" Sam shouted. The other shark was coming at him from above. "Get outta' the water!"

Dean saw what his brother was warning him of, and began swimming his hardest toward the rock. It was the only place nearby to get out of the water. Sam was swimming too. They both needed out of the water. They couldn't fight two sharks without any weapons.

Goosebumps covered Dean's leg. The water was so much more cold without the suit covering his leg. He reached the rock and climbed out as quickly as he could, stubbing his toe. He grimaced at the pain, but figured a stubbed toe was better than having his leg bitten off.

As he turned around on the rock to face the ocean, he could see the sharks' fins turn just before making contact with it. _Where's Sam?_ His heart was racing. He watched intensely for Sam to come out of the water.

Nothing.

Waves lapped against the rock.

Fins circled in the water.

Nothing.

"Sam!" Dean shouted.

"What?" Came his brother's voice over the communicators. Dean perked up. He had forgotten that he could talk to him.

"Where are you?"

Sam splashed out of the water onto the rock. Pulling himself out of the water, he waved lightly to Dean. "I'm here."

Dean pulled his mask off and smiled at his brother. Sam came over to him and saw his bare leg. His eyes went crazy! "Dean! Are you okay?"

Dean looked down at his leg and smirked. "Yeah, it actually just got the suit." Sam looked at him like he couldn't believe it. Dean explained the whole event to him and they laughed at their dumb luck.

"Now what?" Sam asked. Dean just shrugged. He looked out to sea and saw two fins swimming around. They were between them and the boat.

"I guess we wait." He finally said, and unzipped his suit, pulling it off down to just below his navel. "Someone will eventually come by. Or maybe the sharks will leave."

"We don't want them to leave." Sam reminded him, like a parent telling his child to clean his room for the 100th time. "We want it to die. We need its tooth."

Dean looked out to sea. The fins were still there, but he did notice that the bigger one was spreading a pool of blood around the water. He would bleed out eventually. Hopefully, sooner, rather than later. Dean placed his hands behind his head and lounged on the rock. It wasn't as nice as his bed at the motel, which didn't say much, but it would do. He squinted as the sun blinded him through the clouds. It was hot despite the storm. "I hope we don't die of heat stroke first."

"We'll be fine." Sam smirked. "Hopefully the pontoon doesn't float totally away." They looked out at the pontoon. It was definitely farther away than when they parked it. Unless these sharks left they were going to need some rescuing.

Hours went by and Sam couldn't help but think about all the time they were wasting. There were mermaids out there and people needed their help. Those monsters could attack at any time and he and Dean were trapped on a rock with sharks patrolling.

Sam was burning up. Dean unzipping his suit didn't seem so weird and extreme anymore. He could feel sweat on his forehead. He looked over to Dean to see how he was holding up. His mouth dropped some.

Dean was sitting with his head in his hands. Sam listened and could actually hear Dean sniffling quietly. He was crying!

"Dean?" Sam asked, concerned. "Are you okay?"

Dean tried to stop sniffling, and wouldn't lift his head. "Yeah." He choked on the words. "I'm fine." He turned his head away.

"What's goin' on, Dean?" Sam made his way over to him. "Talk to me." Dean didn't move an inch. It didn't even seem like he had heard him. "I'm your brother. Whatever is bothering you... you can tell me. I want to help you." Dean didn't say anything, but started crying louder. "Dean, seriously dude." Sam wasn't sure what to say or do. Awkwardly, he scooted over to Dean and placed his arm around him, pulling him in a bit. Dean's crying picked up. "What's wrong?"

"I don't want to go to a psych ward." Dean whispered. Sammy was caught off-guard by the comment. Sammy didn't want him to go to a psych ward either, nor did he have any intention of sending him to one. "But I don't know how to get better."

"I..." Sam wasn't sure what to say. He wasn't sure how to get him to forgive himself.

Dean turned to him and cried onto his shoulder. Sam was so startled, he didn't even react. He quickly snapped to his senses, before Dean felt rejected, and pulled him into a hug, letting him cry. Sam didn't say anything. It was very rare that Dean cried. It was probably best to just let him get it out. But it was eating Sam up not knowing what was bothering Dean. Whatever it was had to be something big.

Sam rubbed his back some as he waited for Dean to calm down. He looked over Dean's shoulders, out to sea. The sharks were still there, neither of them dead. Somehow, they didn't seem very important to Sam at the moment. He was more concerned about Dean. Whatever had been bothering him had been bothering him for too long now. Sam knew pretty much what it was, but needed Dean to talk about it himself. "Tell me what's bothering you, Dean. I want to help."

Dean looked up to him slowly, eyes red and moist. Tears were streaming down his cheeks. "I can't." The words barely came out of his mouth. They were broken and shaky.

"Dean, you can tell me anything." Sam said, starting to cry a bit himself. He couldn't understand why Dean would ever be unable to tell him something.

"I just can't, Sammy." Dean cried the words.

"Dean, you're my brother and I love you. I'll listen to anythi-"

"I know. That's why I can't tell you. You're the only person I have, Sammy." Dean looked him in the eyes. Sam stared into Dean's big greens. They were desperately serious.

"What?" Sam asked, looking bewildered. "What does that even mean? Why would you lose me?"

Dean's tears dried almost instantly, as his defensive walls went up. "Forget I said anything." He pulled away from Sam and moved off by himself. "I'm fine."

"Dean, you can't do that. You just full-on cried on my shoulder and hugged. You're not fine! I'm your _brother_ and I want to help you!"

"You _are_!" Dean hollered, both angry and sad. He pinched the skin between his eyes and sighed heavily. "You are." His voice was calmer. "Just being around. You're helping me."

Sam looked at his brother, caught off guard by his sentimental comment. "I'm...happy I'm helping, but I want to help more." Sam was concerned about his big brother. The thought of losing Dean to his own inner-demons was Sam's own nightmare. "You have nightmares all the time. You seem to really be struggling. I just want to be there for you."

"You are. You're here."

"I want to help you get over whatever is bothering you." Sam winced. Somehow, those words sounded wrong. It showed on Dean's face.

"I don't think this is something I can just 'get over'." He placed exaggerated emphasis on those words.

"I didn't mean it like that." Sam tried to fix the mistake. Dean was turning away. His walls were completely up. _I really screwed this one up... Way to go, Sam. You always know how to fix a problem._ He kicked himself...

Dean sat watching the sharks patrol. The bigger one had slowed considerably. It wouldn't be long before it bled out. _Animals are insane._ He thought to himself. _So determined to hunt us, he just ignores the fact that he's dying and sticks around._ Dean looked at himself. _I guess we're not so different_. The thought disturbed Dean. He brushed it off with the shake of his head. _Sammy can't know. I can't lose him._

He watched the sharks as he fought with himself to keep his dark thoughts at bay. Sam watched him and worried. What could he do for him? Sam shook his head too, shaking off those thoughts. He reminded himself that Destin was in trouble and needed them. First they needed the tooth. Then kill the mermaids. Then fix Dean. Sam looked to the sky. _How are we going to do this? And why is it that fixing Dean seems like the most daunting part of this plan?_


	33. Chapter 33

Chapter 33

Cordelia smiled as she drove her moving truck into the parking lot of the local outdoor mall, _The Commons_. It was a beautiful shopping center, decorated with classy fountains, flower gardens, and trees with twinkling lights wrapped around them.

People were everywhere and doing everything. Some were eating ice cream, getting coffee, shopping, seeing a movie, or just walking around; all of them were perfect practice.

Cordelia got out of the truck and went to the back. "It's time my babies, that you get some practice. Hunting is important, especially as we have hunters in town with us. You need to learn to take care of yourselves." The monsters in the back of the truck growled and hissed in response. "We need to be able to survive. We're almost extinct. One day you'll be in my position, with a mate, and you can spawn some mates and babies." She cried like a mother does watching her children grow into their own.

With a whip of her wrist, the truck's rear door flew open and the small regime of baby mermaids dragged their way quickly and monstrously out and into the sun light. "Hunt, children." Cordelia ordered and directed them toward the mall.

Panic ensued at the mall as the monsters tore into the crowd. Nowhere was safe. They made quick work, under the instruction of their mother, of all the mall-goers. They ate their fill, leaving just blood, disembodied limbs, and bones scattered around. It looked like a slaughterhouse, or the set of a horror movie.

Cordelia marched into the security booth and stole the camera footage, leaving no evidence as to who had done the killing. This way they'll just blame some terrorist organization. She thought with a devilish smirk. They still need more practice and food if they're going to grow quickly into mature mermaids capable of reproducing. She felt the weight of the responsibility given to her by Aquarius as she worked to train a new generation to repopulate the world.


	34. Chapter 34

Chapter 34

Sam watched warily as storm clouds moved closer and had their effect on the water. Waves were picking up, looking even more unsafe to swim or boat in. He watched as Dean lay sprawled out on the rock, resting his eyes. Sam thought it was probably the worst time ever to be sleeping, but he noticed Dean wasn't screaming with a nightmare or thrashing about, so he let him be.

He looked out. It was getting hard to keep track of the sharks. Searching the waters with difficulty, Sam noticed he couldn't find either of them. He stood up to get a better view. The waves made it hard for him to see anything in the water. His eyes scanned everywhere. Finally, he spotted one shark. It was the one that Dean speared. He watched to see where it was going. What pattern it was swimming in. That's when he noticed something. _It's not swimming at all... It's floating._ His faced perked up. _It's dead!_

He watched as the waves carried the shark's body one way and another. He began to get worried. If they waited much longer to get the body, the ocean waves might carry it away, or sweep it under. He turned to Dean. _I hate to wake him up... This is the first good sleep he's gotten in as long as I can remember..._ Sam decided that this was worth it. They needed the tooth. "Dean!" He hollered. Dean didn't respond. He really was sleeping well. Sam went over and shook Dean lightly. Dean stirred awake, taking in his surroundings.

"What in the world?" Dean asked, looking at the waves. "Is there a hurricane?"

"It's the storm. We're just seeing its effects." Sam explained.

"Wonderful."

"What's better is we gotta' go in it."

"That's suicide!" Dean warned Sam. "We can't go in that."

"We need the tooth." Sam explained, looking just as concerned about swimming in those waves as Dean. "The shark's dead and if we wait much longer the body's going to get carried away."

"You're kidding, right?" Dean asked, fake hope in his eyes.

Sam just gave him "the look." Dean groaned and stood up. Zipping his suit back up, he followed Sam over to the edge of the rock. Neither of them planned on going underwater, so they left their masks on the rock. "I haven't seen the other shark." Sam explained. "Hopefully it's gone." He pointed out to the shark's body. "There's our tooth." Dean just nodded.

Together, they jumped into the water. Dean splashed in and a quick chill ran up his now bare leg. The waters threw him and Sam around. The waves threatened to push them both under. "This was a mistake!" Dean yelled over the splashing.

"We _need_ that tooth!" Sam hollered, sounding desperate. Water poured into his open mouth and he coughed and hacked it back out, the taste of salt overwhelming his mouth.

The water pushed Dean and Sam left and right. They were both surprised by the almost immediate exhaustion they were facing, fighting the violent waves. Water crashed over Dean's head. He looked over for Sam. He hoped he was okay. This was dangerous!

"Dean!" Sam's voice called from over some waves. "Dean, are you okay?"

"Where are you, Sam?" Dean yelled.

"Swim to your right!" Sam called out. Dean looked to his right and caught a glimpse of his brother's mop of hair, hanging soaked down his head. Dean moved as best he could, trying to get to his brother.

He went up and down with the waves, but steadily he made his way to Sam. As he approached, Sam reached out his hand. Dean took it. "We gotta' get to that shark." Sam said, spitting water out of his mouth as the waves crashed into his face. Dean nodded. He knew that already.

Sam locked his arm around Dean's and began swimming toward the shark. "We're safer together." Sam explained, keeping his eyes locked on the floating shark. Dean looked at his brother with pride. Sam was always a reliable kid and never gave up on anything. It was something Dean really admired in him.

Dean tightened his lock around Sam, and swam with all his might. Together, they made good strides toward the shark. As they approached, a wave crashed over them, pushing the shark's body underwater. Sam and Dean exchanged a "Really?" look. They both dove under. Sam saw Dean's bare leg was covered in goosebumps. That's when he realized, the water wasn't as warm as it was earlier. The storm had stirred it all up and brought the cold water from the bottom up to the top, and shoved the warm top water down.

Holding each other, they grabbed the shark's body and began carrying it back to the surface. As they approached the top, Sam caught a glimpse of movement through the strong currents and clouds of sand. He screamed to Dean, but only a muddled noise came out. The water distorted his cry. It was the other shark. He tapped Dean on the shoulder and pointed toward where he saw the shark. Dean didn't seem to understand. So instead, Sam just pointed rapidly to the surface. Their best chance was to just get out of the water before the shark got them.

Sam and Dean kicked as hard as they could, the dead body of the speared tiger shark in their arms. It was massive and heavy! Sam kept glancing back. He didn't see anything, but he knew it was around. Dean looked around too, unsure of what Sam was freaking out about, but he hoped it was just a shark. Not the mermaid.

They reached the surface and struggled through the waves. Sam couldn't see anything through the water. It was too dark and disturbed. He swam on high alert, anticipating being pulled under violently at any moment. As they made their way to the rock, Sam noticed that the pontoon was nowhere to be seen. It had totally been carried out to sea.

Both brothers' eyes bugged out. A fin was slicing through the water toward them, blocking them off from the rock. They looked at each other in a panic. What could they do?

The sound of an engine came humming over the waves. Sam looked around for whatever was causing it. Dean's eyes stayed locked on the fin, which was approaching far too quickly for his comfort. _Is there any chance I could kick it again?_ He wondered, picturing himself like Lara Croft in that movie. _Doubtful...though I'd look freakin' sexy in those shorts._ He smirked, and then quickly remembered that he was about to get eaten by a shark.

Just as the fin approached, a small motor boat, cut between the brothers and the shark. "Quick!" Sam yelled, getting Dean's body moving. Together they hoisted the shark onto the boat and climbed on as well. As they looked out, the other shark was nowhere to be seen. The boat must have scared it away. Sam looked to Dean. "Dang that thing was heavy. How much you think it weighs? 200 pounds?" Dean shrugged with eyes that simply could not believe everything they just survived. They turned to thank their rescuer.

"Hey guys!" Cassie smiled. "Glad you got the shark." They both beamed huge smiles of relief and collapsed on the boat's floor.

"You okay?" Leon ask concernedly. He rushed over to them like a paramedic ready to give CPR. "Where'd you get hurt?" He saw Dean's bare leg and looked at him like he was crazy. "What happened to the suit?"

"Whoa, whoa. One question at a time." Dean held up his hand in a "slow down" motion.

Leon nodded. "Are you hurt?" Leon gestured at Dean's bare leg, with a small cut on it.

"Nah, we're fine." Dean insisted. "Just a small cut."

"But he's lucky that's all." Sam added.

"Why? What happened?"

"He was caught on the shark. His suit got snagged on the harpoon."

"How?" Leon asked. His face reminded Sam of Dean's face when he tried to solve algebra problems in high school. "Did you shoot yourself?"

"No." Dean laughed. "We didn't hit the shark with the gun, so we had to jump in and use the harpoons as spears."

"Whoa." Cassie gasped. "That's bad ass!"

"No biggie." Dean gave a cocky smirk.

"Sounds like it was a biggie." She pointed at his torn suit's missing leg.

"I tore it off to free myself from the shark." Dean explained. "Plus I just think I look better this way. I can't deny the world these legs." He ran his hand along his hairy leg like Vanna White.

"Right." She rolled her eyes.

"Anyway, we got the shark. So, don't we have work to do or something?" Leon said trying to break Cassie and Dean up. He worried that there might be something between them, despite Dean being over ten years older than her.

"Yes. We need to get the tooth out and make ourselves a weapon." Sam explained.

"Okay. Work on getting the tooth out. I'll get us back to shore." Leon said as he looked out at the stormy waters. "Or, at least I'll _try_ to get us back." He crossed his fingers. This was going to be a rough trip. _Can't be worse than the last one I took with Dean..._


	35. Chapter 35

Chapter 35

The boat crashed over the waves, sending water all over the passengers. The floor of the boat was covered in blood after Sam had crudely cut the shark's mouth in several places, removing multiple teeth. He figured it couldn't hurt to have more than needed.

Sam looked over the passengers on the boat. They looked worn. Leon and Dean were both bruised and cut up from their encounter with the mermaid on Saint Satan's. Cassie looked exhausted, probably from a mixture of worry and grief. The whole group needed this hunt to come to an end.

Dean looked like he was somewhere far away. Sam hoped that it was anywhere but his memories of being a demon. Sam didn't know exactly what Dean did during those times, but he knew none of it was good. He did remember the few times Dean tried to kill him. He didn't hold any anger toward Dean for it. He wasn't himself those days.

The boat pulled up to the shore and there was a big crowd at the Tiki Torch Tavern. The tourists were gathered around. "Must be Stella's concert or something." Leon said. "I guess the crummy weather doesn't even keep them away."

"Is she that good?" Dean asked, his eyebrow raised.

"She's great!" Cassie praised. "Best singer 'round here."

Sam grabbed the shark teeth and they all exited the boat. Sam and Dean were gross. Blood covered Sam's arms, plus they both had mud and gunk all over them from lounging on the rock. They were dying to get out of their wetsuits, too. "We're gonna' go change." Sam said, pointing toward the locker room building.

"Alright. We'll wait for you at the Tiki Torch." Cassie said. Sam tossed her one of the shark's teeth.

"Just in case." He said as he turned to follow Dean to the lockers.

They entered the locker room and almost instantly, like it was a tear-off suit, Dean had unzipped his wetsuit and yanked it off. As he held it, it looked like trash. There were holes in it, it was dirty and blood-covered, plus it was missing one of the legs. "Think they'll want to reuse this?" Dean asked with a smirk.

"Doubtful." Sam said. He placed the shark's teeth on the bench in the center of the room and pulled his wetsuit off.

"I'm takin' a shower." Dean said. He looked around the room. "Where do you think the towels are?"

"I don't know." Sam responded, removing his underwear and placing them in the locker next to where he and Dean had stored the rest of their stuff. Dean strut around the locker room like he owned the place, disregarding his typical bashfulness when being naked. "Did you check the closet over there?" Sam pointed to a small door in the corner of the room, next to the crate that held all the flippers.

Dean opened it. Sure enough, there were wash clothes, towels, and soap. He tossed a bar of soap to Sammy. "Don't drop the soap" He taunted like a high school student. Sam did drop the soap. "I'm not picking that up." Dean smirked.

Sam gave him an irritated and disapproving face. He picked up the soap and marched over to his big brother. "Towel." He said sternly. Dean handed him a towel and mouthed something. Sam didn't care much to figure out what. He turned to head to the shower and felt a sharp sting on his butt. Dean burst out in laughter. He stood with a twisted-up towel dangling from his hand. "Towel snap me again and see what happens."

"I think I'd rather not find out." Dean said, trying to calm his laughter. He felt like he was in gym class again. He walked over to the doorway that led to the showers and looked in. "Wait a second. Was this always one shower?"

"Yes, Dean. It's a communal shower."

"I have to shower with your lame ass?" Dean asked, sounding appalled.

"Yes, literally, you have to shower with my 'lame ass'."

Dean groaned. "You're lucky I don't totally hate you."

"Why's that?" Sam made a confused face.

"Cuz I wouldn't shower with you then." Dean's face showed how stupid and weird his remark sounded.

"Can't say I'm often holding my breath, hoping you'll join me in a shower."

"Come on, Sammy. Admit it. There's no man alive that you'd rather be naked with than me." Dean joked, batting his eyelashes.

Sam sighed. "That's true...actually... But when you say it like that it just sounds creepy." Dean chuckled and turned the water on.

The room filled with steam as the brothers cleaned themselves off, and just enjoyed a warm shower. They both were sore and worn out, but they knew they still had work to do. And it wasn't going to be easy.

Sam finally turned around and looked at Dean. "Do you think those teeth will work?"

Dean didn't turn back. He placed one arm against the wall and leaned in, resting his head on his hand. "I don't know, Sammy."

"All those people are counting on us." Sam said, the words feeling like a weight in the room. "Leon and Cassie too..."

Dean rested with his eyes closed for awhile, but could feel Sammy's stare drilling through the back of his head. He sighed loudly and turned to face his little brother. "I know." Dean was worried. He had promised them that they would end this monster's killing spree. "The teeth have to work."

"Why's that?"

Dean wasn't really sure why. He mostly said that in hopes that if he wanted it badly enough, it would become true. He had no better reason. "Because I read it on the internet." Dean smirked, trying to break the heavy moment. They needed to be fast and ready, not worried and unsure of themselves. This was kill or be killed. "Everything you read on the internet is true."

Sam laughed a bit. "Yeah, whatever." His face showed less worry. "I'll tell ya'. We do some crazy things to some dangerous creatures just because we read it on the internet."

"And it always works." Dean said with a wink.

"Does it? Does it always work?"

"Mostly. It mostly always works. Sometimes."

They both stood under the hot water, trying to comfort sore spots and bruises. Dean especially had taken a beating. Sam watched his brother through worried eyes. He looked bruised and beaten, but the worst of it was the way he carried himself. It didn't look like the physical pain was getting to him. It looked like he was struggling from the inside.

"You know, I never wanted to put you in a psych ward." Sammy said quietly.

Dean turned toward his little brother. "I know. I'm sorry I reacted like I did." Sam couldn't believe what he was hearing. Dean never apologized like that. It caught Sam a little off-guard.

He cleared his throat. "But it doesn't change the fact that you need help."

Dean looked a bit worn from having talks like these, but could tell Sammy was not about to drop it. "I know I do."

"Your nightmares have been getting worse and you're getting lost in your head even more while awake."

"I know." Dean said flatly. "I know I'm getting lost. I know when I am lost, but I can't get back out."

"What do you mean?"

"It's hard to explain. While I'm remembering these things, it's not just like a memory. It's like I've travelled back in time and am living in that moment again, only this time I have no control of my own actions. I just have to watch myself do the things that I wish I had never done."

"Dean." Sam said with full-on puppy-dog eyes. Dean looked at him with a confused face, waiting for him to finish his sentence. "I'm so sorry."

"For what?"

"For all that you're going through."

"You didn't do any of it."

"I didn't help any of it either."

"What are you talking about? You saved me from being a demon."

"But if I had saved you sooner, you wouldn't have to-"

"Stop it, Sammy. This is all on me. Not you."

"I'm still sorry that you have to go through all this."

Dean sighed heavily and leaned his back onto the cold tile wall of the shower. "Me too." He closed his eyes and let his head fall. _Why's this crap always gotta' happen to me? How are we gonna' get outta' this one?_

"Dean." Sam said softly. His brother's eyes came up and met his. "We'll get through this. I promise." Dean just gave a weak smile and turned back to his shower. They both stood in silence for a few minutes.

Sam turned off the water, and Dean did the same. They exited the shower and headed over to the bench where their towels were. Dean smirked at Sammy. "What?" Sam asked, glad to at least see a smile on his face.

"I was just thinking."

"Yeah?" Sam asked, his face quizzical and confused.

"You may have grown taller than me, but at least I'm still your big brother in one way...if ya' know what I mean." Dean grinned at Sammy with devilish eyes and gestured down. Sam rolled his eyes and smacked Dean on the chest. "Did I touch a nerve?" Dean laughed.

"Grow up." Sam said, flustered.

"Looks like I already did." Dean joked more. "You're the one who needs to catch up."

Sam just sighed and dried off. Dean giggled to himself for a while and then toweled off too. Both turned quickly as someone came storming into the room. Neither were comfortable in front of other people without clothing on.

"You've gotta' hurry!" Leon spat the words out like he had barely been holding them in.

"What's up?" Dean asked, afraid to hear the answer.

"The Tiki Torch is being attacked!" Leon shouted. He couldn't believe what he was saying. "Hurry!"

Dean and Sam both grabbed their swim shorts and pulled them up awkwardly as they ran out the door with Leon. Sam ran back in, swiped the shark's teeth, and followed after the other guys. They made their way back to the Tiki Torch Tavern with the shark teeth.


	36. Chapter 36

Chapter 36

Before they even reached the Tiki Torch Tavern, they could hear the screaming of the crowd. Sam, Dean, and Leon, carrying the bag of molotov cocktails he and Cassie had prepared earlier, ran under the canopy and took in the mayhem. Cordelia was there with her remaining monstrous babies, five in total, thanks to the molotovs and shotgun on the ship.

The babies looked like wild animals, dragging their fish-tailed bodies across the sand like horrid creatures out of a horror movie. They were chasing, killing, and eating the crowd of tourists gathered for the concert. Blood was spilling everywhere.

Dean ran to the bar where the bartender was being cornered by one of the babies. He grabbed a bar stool and swung it hard like a Major League baseball player. It made contact with the mermaid and Dean could feel the creature's bones break under the blow. The mermaid turned back and lunged at Dean, seemingly unbothered by the new wound.

He fell hard to the floor with the creature lying on top of him. It swung its clawed hands wildly through the air, trying to get at Dean, but he had it by the wrists, forcing its hands away. Sam ran to his brother to help.

He watched as the mermaid finally got a claw into Dean's chest and sliced it open. Blood seeped slowly out. "Dean!" Sam shouted as he body-slammed the monster off of his brother. He wrestled with the creature until Dean finally jumped onto it too. With it held on the ground, Sam rummaged through his swim shorts' pocket and dug out a shark's tooth. He stabbed it straight into the monster's heart.

They both watched as the veins, beginning at the stab wound and spreading out, turned unnaturally dark and the creature wailed out in pain. It shook violently, like it was having a seizure, then flopped onto the ground like a fish who had been out of the water too long.

"Is it dead?" Dean asked. He smacked it across the cheek. Nothing.

"Guess so." Sam shrugged through heavy breaths. "You okay?"

Dean looked down at his bare chest, now dripping blood. "Yeah, it's not too deep. Looks worse than it really is." He placed a finger on it and winced. "I'll live." He said it like he was convincing himself more than Sam. Sammy wasn't so sure. He noticed how quickly the blood was pouring out of the wound. If left unchecked, he could pass out from blood loss, but he knew that now was not the time to press Dean to relax.

They both rose, with no time to waste. Everywhere they looked the mermaids were murdering innocents. People were screaming and running to get out of the restaurant. Many were getting away, but several were being caught as they attempted to escape. Mermaids were biting people at their legs and pulling them to the ground.

Sam handed a shark's tooth to Dean and ran to save a woman being thrashed on the ground. She screamed and shielded herself weakly from the mermaid's assault with her arms and hands. The creature's claws were tearing her skin off the bone with each slash, still she held her arms up, figuring it was better to lose arms than her life. Sam ran to the back of it and stabbed the tooth into the back of its head. Slowly the skin turned dark as the tooth took its effect. Finally, the mermaid tumbled off of the woman, and she got up and ran off, gritting her teeth through the pain. "You're welcome!" Sam shouted, shaking his head. _Some people..._

"Dean!" Leon shouted, running to him. Dean looked over at him. He looked panicked.

"What?" Dean said, keeping his eyes on the mayhem, antsy to get back into the brawl.

"Have you seen Cassie?" Leon gasped for air between words. He was bloodied, but seemed mostly okay. "I can't find her." Dean looked around quickly, but couldn't find the girl.

Dean looked to Sam who was killing another baby mermaid. He looked back across the bar. There was blood everywhere. Dead bodies everywhere. Death was everywhere he looked. He remembered death. It was something he had dealt with many times in the past. He remembered enjoying the death. He enjoyed the carnage. It was fun.

Leon watched as Dean zoned out to a whole other world. He watched as Dean began crying. Wherever he was, he wasn't in this fight, and he wasn't finding Cassie.

"Dean!" Leon shouted as he continued to scan the room for his sister. She was missing. He looked at the carnage on the floor, praying that he didn't see anything that resembled his sister. He sighed in relief, but only in his head. She wasn't dead, or so it seemed. However, that didn't solve the problem. She was still missing. He ran to the older Winchester.

"Dean!" He shook the man. "Dean wake up!" Dean didn't response. He was lost somewhere entirely too far away for Leon to bring him back. Suddenly a heavy force plowed into Leon and he was driven hard into the ground. Fortunately it was a sand floor, so the impact wasn't nearly as bad as it could have been. "Dean, help!"

No response.

Leon thrashed about, trying to free himself from the baby mermaid. It was an awful looking creature, but yet still resembled a human too. It was a woman, that's all Leon could tell. The rest of her was slimy, scaly, and ugly. Her fangs drooled sticky liquid onto Leon's forehead as she grinned hungrily at him. He reached out with his hand, trying to grab the molotov cocktails from the bag he was carrying, but she had pinned him too far away from it. He couldn't get them. She raised her claws in the air, ready to bring them down fatally on Leon, but then screamed out in agony. Leon saw Sam standing behind the creature, forcing the shark's tooth into the back of the mermaid's neck. The skin began changing colors, as the veins were filled with whatever force the shark's tooth had that acted as a poison to the monsters.

Sam didn't even offer Leon a hand getting up. He raced over to his big brother and looked him intensely in the eyes. Sam saw the same thing as Leon. Dean's eyes were somewhere far away, and it didn't look like it was a good place. Sam knew where he was. He was reliving part of the horrors he experienced as a demon. The guilt was eating Dean alive, but from the inside. This seemed worse than normal. Sam could have sworn that Dean's eyes were darker than normal, like any life in them was fading away. It was like the past was literally sucking the life out of him, stealing him away into the past.

 _Dean watches as gore splatters against the walls and Crowley smirks in appreciation. He is Crowley's bitch, but the demon king terms it "besties". Dean cuts off his relations with Crowley and walks as a free man, well, demon. A free demon, he is now even more wicked separate from Crowley._

The thoughts had Dean completely consumed. He could feel the heat of Hell burning inside his mind. It was a fire he was all too familiar with. It seemed Hell and Dean had too familiar a relationship. Dean worried it was destined. Maybe there was no way he could avoid it. He deserved to rot in Hell. He had killed so many people. He had even tried to kill his own little brother. The same little brother he had devoted his entire life to raising and protecting. The same little brother that his father had commanded him to keep safe. He had tried to _kill_ him! The very thought of it felt like a dagger being stabbed in his heart. He knew Sammy would forgive him. Sammy was a good brother. But there was no way Dean could forgive himself. There was no forgiveness for someone like him. He deserved Hell. Darkness was consuming his thoughts.

"Dean!" _A voice echoes faintly through the darkness of Dean's thoughts._ "Dean!" _It echoes again. Where is it coming from? Dean looks around_ _through his mind's eyes. There's nothing but darkness. Where is the voice coming from?_ "Dean! Come back to me, we need you." _The voice is getting clearer- less muffled._

 _"I can't." Dean hears himself whisper, mostly to himself._

"Yes, you can." _The voice reassures him_. "Please, come back. I need you." _Dean looks around. He sees something in the distance. It's breaking through the darkness._ "Please, come back to me. I can't lose you." _Dean begins running to the strange object._

 _"I'm coming." Dean says, convincing himself to move. He runs through memories of blood, death, and carnage. He runs through strong forces of guilt and regret. As he runs, he feels tears running down his cheeks and a sore pain in his chest, his heart._

"Dean! Please!" _The voice calls out. Dean's ears perk up. He knows that voice. Who is it? It's so familiar to him. The voice melts the pain in his chest away. It's a voice he loves. "_ Please, you've gotta' fight this Dean. I can't lose you. Let me help you through this."

 _Dean runs, but the object doesn't get any closer. "I can't." Dean says to the voice._

"Why not? I love you. I want to help."

 _Dean recognizes the voice. It's the brother he had tried to kill. It's the brother he had betrayed. It's the brother he had left alone._

It was Sammy.

Sammy gripped Dean's shoulder tightly, desperately wanting to reach him. His eyes were still vacant and hopeless. He worried that this was it. This was when Dean would get lost to his guilt, to his past forever. Sam couldn't bear the thought. He shook Dean and held him tightly, desperately calling out to him. He pleaded with Dean. "Please, Dean. I can't live without you. Tell me what's wrong. Let me help!"

 _"I can't tell you." Dean calls out between tears. "I can't lose you." He runs, but the object doesn't get closer. Darkness begins to envelope it._

"Please, Dean!" _The voice begs._ "Let me help."

 _"I can't Sammy. I can't lose you. You're all I have."_

"You won't lose me. You'll never lose me."

 _"I can't tell you. I did terrible things, Sammy." Dean cries._

"I know. I've done terrible things too. But you helped me. Let me help you. I love you. I'm here for you." _The voice sounds desperate and shaky. Each word is spoken with a trembling voice mixed with sobbing._

 _"I did terrible things to you."_

"All in the past. It's forgiven. I just want my big brother now."

 _Those words make Dean smile, breaking some of the darkness. The object becomes more visible, and closer. It's an arm. Dean knows the arm. It's Sammy's arm._

"Please, just let me help you. We'll get through this."

 _Dean smiles more, his tears flowing, but hope is returning to him. Maybe Sammy is right. Maybe they can work through this. He runs to Sammy's hand, and it grows closer, bringing more and more light with it. The darkness, gore, and death starts to dissipate. His mind's becoming clear again. He reaches his hand out. "Okay." Is all Dean says, and he takes the hand._

The world shot into Dean like a shotgun. He quickly and painfully took in the whole situation as he came back to the real world. His hand was in Sammy's and Sammy was hugging him in a hug unlike he'd ever gotten from him. Dean felt like a child being comforted by his father. He couldn't help himself. He collapsed into his brother's large arms and cried as the guilt worked to pull him back into his darkness.

"I'm here to help." Sammy assured him, "But right now we gotta' find Cassie."

"I can't go on like this Sammy." Dean's green eyes pierced Sam. "You gotta' go without me."

"Never."

"I'm damaged goods. I'm only holding you back."

"You never hold me back. You're the one who gives me strength." Sam smiled at his brother. "You're going to be okay, and we're going to get through this together. Right now, we gotta' find Cassie. She needs us."

Dean looked around. Gore was everywhere, but Sammy was alive. He was so relieved by that. He saw the bodies of all the restaurant patrons strewn across the floors and walls. He also saw the discolored remains of the mermaid babies. There were small fires from molotov cocktails Leon had thrown to kill a mermaid. It seemed Sammy and Leon were busy as he was stuck in his nightmares. He felt guilty for not helping. He looked over toward the ocean. He saw Leon there, lying on the beach like he was in pain. Then Dean saw Cordelia slowly walking toward him, looking like she had won her victory.

"No!" Dean shouted and pushed off of Sammy, pain shooting from his chest where he had been cut, darting toward the woman. He tackled her to the ground hard, and before she even registered what was happening, he began pummeling her. Punching and punching, he took all his frustration and guilt out on her in the form of a brutal beating. His fists were beginning to hurt, but he didn't care. He needed to kill her. He needed to save Leon and Cassie. He needed to avenge their grandmother and all the others who had lost their lives. With each punch, more pain shot through his chest and more blood poured out from his wound. His skin was slowly beginning to lose its color as blood-loss began taking its toll.

Sam raced over and pulled Dean off of the bloody mess that was Cordelia. She chortled, coughing up some blood at the same time. "Dean, you've got her." Sam said.

"Let me kill the bitch, Sammy." Dean huffed. Sam kept him restrained.

"We need her intel. Plus, you need to take it easy." Sam whispered into Dean's ear. He stepped up to the monster. "Where's the girl?"

Cordelia stayed down on the ground, defeated. "You'll never get her." She laughed like the devil.

"WHERE IS SHE?" Dean hollered. He was at his wit's end. All his guilt and anger were boiling over. He needed to get this victory. He needed to save this girl. Somehow it felt like doing this good deed for someone else's younger sibling might start to redeem him from the sins he'd committed against his own, though deep down, he knew nothing could make up for what he had done.

Cordelia pointed a weak finger out to sea. "She's with him..." she said faintly.

"Him who?" Leon asked.

"My mate." She smirked. "You can't save her now."

"Where is she? We'd love to try." Dean retorted.

"On a boat out at sea with Aquarius." Cordelia answered.

"Why so cooperative?" Sammy asked.

"I'm not cooperating. I'm leading you to your death." She laughed.

Leon ran toward the nearest parked boat. It was small, but would do. Dean followed him in a hurry. Sammy approached her. "Thanks for all your help."

"What are you gonna' do? Soon I'll be recovered and you'll be done for." She smirked a proud smile. "I'm immortal."

"What? Because of your stupid little shell?"

Her face lost all sense of pride, and fear settled in. "What are you talking about?" She tried to mask her panic in a calm voice, but Sam could see her eyes betraying her.

He plunged the shark's tooth into her heart and she screamed like a banshee. Sam covered his ears and watched as her skin began to discolor and her veins began changing as the poisonous effect took root. It wasn't long before she lie still and dead on the sand. Sam tore the tooth out of her chest and followed after his big brother.


	37. Chapter 37

Chapter 37

The boat tore through the waves, water crashing over at each impact. The boat was soaring far faster than it was meant for, or was legal in the area. Dean scanned the sea for any sign of Cassie. He looked over the crew on the boat. They looked like a bunch of tourists, clad only in their swimming shorts. Bare chest. Bare feet. No weapons, save a shark's tooth. Nothing about them looked like hunters, save their stern faces. He looked down at the wound in his chest. It was bleeding too quickly. He pressed his hand hard against it.

"I have no idea where I'm driving!" Leon shouted over the roar of the boat.

Dean walked over and placed a big hand on the kid's small shoulder. "We'll find her. Don't give up." Leon nodded and refocused back on the search.

Sam looked all around the boat. There was no sign of anyone. He didn't want to say anything, but the search was seeming hopeless. The ocean was too big a body of water for them to ever hope to cover the whole thing. Cassie could be anywhere!

Dean kept his eyes peeled, searching for Cassie. He turned to check the other side of the boat when he caught Sam staring at him. He knew Sam was concerned for him, especially after that scene in the bar. He knew Sammy would want to talk, but for some reason, the idea actually sounded kinda' nice. He broke his gaze from Sammy and continued the search. Cassie needed them now. The talk could wait.

"There!" Leon shouted. They all gathered to the front of the boat and looked out to where Leon was pointing. "A boat."

"Gotta' be them." Dean said. Sammy nodded. "Take us in fast." Dean instructed. "He knows we're coming."

The boat came to an abrupt stop near the other boat, nearly colliding into it. The other boat was larger, like a small luxury boat. It had a couple levels, an interior area, and a pretty big deck. There was no sign of Cassie on the outside, but she was on it. She had to be. There was nowhere else she could be.

"Let's do this." Sam said, holding the shark's tooth up between his fingers, like a ninja does throwing stars. Leon and Dean nodded in agreement, but Leon faltered.

"How are we going to beat that lady's mate? Remember how strong she was? Her mate's gotta' be like a freight train!" He looked worriedly between Sam and Dean. Sam looked deep in concerned thought, and offered nothing. Dean, noticing the quickly fading morale, winked at Leon.

"I got my secret weapon." He smirked cockily at Leon.

"What's that?" Leon asked. "The shark's tooth?"

Dean let out a _psh_. "Nah, man. This!" He flexed his right arm tightly in the air, causing an impressive bicep to bulge up. Dean pointed at it and winked to Leon and smiled at Sammy. Sammy rolled his eyes, but Leon actually smiled. _At least his spirits are alive_ , Dean thought. "Are we gonna' do this or what? Cassie's waiting for us."

"Yeah." Leon agreed. They all disembarked the boat and hopped onto the luxury boat. "I kinda' feel like a pirate."

"Arg!" Dean did his best pirate impersonation.

"Okay. Can we get serious?" Sam asked sternly. "This is life or death."

Dean gave Leon an "uh-oh" look, like a kid who got caught by the teacher passing notes in class. "Yessir." He saluted Sammy, but knew he was right. This was life or death. They had to be on their A-game.

As they crept on the boat, they peeked into the windows leading to the interior part of the boat. The room was elegant and clean. It looked like a nice room to sit and have a peaceful dinner with some wine. There was a nice table along the wall with built-in benches to ensure they didn't slide as the boat rocked. But there was no Cassie. No Monster.

"Hello boys." came a voice too familiar to Leon. They turned around and faced Stella, the bar's singer. She stood before them looking confident and a little sinister.

"Stella?" Leon asked. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, Leon." Stella gave him a _tsk tsk tsk._ "What do you think I'm doing here?" Leon didn't give her a response. He was lost in denial of the obvious.

"Where's Cassie?" Dean asked sternly.

"She's here." Stella confirmed. "She's being prepared to be taken as my bride."

"As your bride? Who are you? Dracula?" Dean scoffed.

"Very funny." Stella said flatly. "I'm happy to see all of your dark episodes haven't killed your outstanding sense of humor."

"Me too. It's my best quality." Dean quipped. "That and my perky nipples."

"Truly..."

"Where's the girl?" Sam said in a threatening voice.

"Stella, please. Where is she? Give her back to me." Leon pleaded.

"In case it hasn't been made clear enough yet, my name isn't Stella." she said.

"What?" Leon asked, blocking the obvious truth.

"Aquarius."

"Like the song." Sam said, mostly to himself.

"Like the song." Aquarius repeated. The guys watched in horror as the slightly plump bar-singer transformed right before their eyes, not like a shapeshifter, tearing off skin and reforming, but more like a mirage that was being lifted away, allowing the guys to see clearly.

Before them stood a very tall, muscled man, wearing nothing but a conch shell around his neck. "Real nice." Dean said sarcastically.

"Let my sister go." Leon said, still staring at Aquarius in bewilderment. He was having a hard time processing the fact that Stella was never really their friend. She was never even really a person. It was always this large, wicked man.

"I'm sorry, Leon. Cordelia and I really did like your family. But Chester stumbled onto something he was never meant to. We had to kill him to make sure he never said anything. To make sure hunters never came for us. Obviously, it didn't work."

"Obviously." Dean said with a smirk.

"I thought Cordelia and I were being careful enough not to draw attention to ourselves. But we were ready to do our part and start a family. The mermaids are a dying creature. There are very few of my children left."

"Thank God for that." Dean chimed in. Aquarius stared at him, un-amused by his quip.

"Why is it that you humans go to great lengths to save your own race, to save tigers, polar bears, and every other form of creature on this earth, but the idea of mermaids going extinct is exciting for you?"

"Because animals aren't evil. They're just animals." Sam explained.

"And people? Are you to tell me that people aren't evil."

"Some are. Some aren't." Sam said.

"So do you kill the evil ones?"

"If we have to, but we try not to. See, humans have an advantage against us hunters. We're human too." Dean said through a cocky smirk.

"I cannot let you stop me from repopulating the mermaid race. We have just as much right to this world as you do."

"We'll see." Dean threatened. "What's that thing everyone's into nowadays? Survival of the fittest? Fight for your right to live. But I'm telling you man, we're not going to make this easy for you." Aquarius grinned and stepped up to Dean, so close Dean could feel the tall man's breaths hitting his forehead.

"You seemed to struggle against Cordelia." Aquarius smiled. "She was nothing in comparison to me."

Dean smirked. "You all look like the same class of monster to me, only she was hotter! Plus, she knew a thing or two about decency." Dean gestured at the man, drawing attention to his nakedness. "Come on, dude! Put some clothes on before you stand all up in my space like this." Aquarius simply laughed and walked backward.

"I'd say it's time for Cassie and me to become mates. The transformation preparations are ready by now, I'm sure." With that he retreated into the boat and reemerged with Cassie. She was gagged and unconscious.

"What did you do to her?" Leon asked concernedly.

"Nothing that hurt her. She'll be fine. In fact, she'll be better than fine." His deep voice purred the last words.

"Let her go!" Leon shouted.

"That's the plan!" Aquarius shouted gleefully as he tossed the unconscious girl overboard. She hit the water hard, but didn't wake up. Leon ran to retrieve his sister, but was body-slammed by Aquarius. "Sorry, boy. I can't let you stop me." He punched Leon hard, stunning the boy, and then jumped into the ocean, pulling Cassie underwater quickly.

Leon's vision was blurry. His temple hurt where he had been punched. As his vision cleared, Sam came into clear view, sporting soft, concerned eyes. "Are you okay?" He asked. Leon nodded.

"Hurry!" Dean shouted as he dove into the ocean.

"Be careful! The storm has the water pretty rough!" Sam shouted, but no one listened. Leon hit the water with a splash and submerged right behind Dean. Sam sighed to himself. "This is not going to be fun." He ran and dove in behind everyone.

Dean was swimming with all of his might and had pulled way ahead of Leon, but he could feel his body weakening from blood loss. Leon watched as Sam caught and passed him as he made his way down to his older brother. _It sucks being short sometimes..._ , Leon thought.

The water was dark and foggy. Sand was floating everywhere and vision was pretty low. They all could feel the current pulling them all around, making it hard to stay still.

Sam gripped the shark's tooth tightly as he scanned around for any moving figures in the sea, but he couldn't see any. Finally, he couldn't hold his breath anymore and had to return to the surface. When he arrived he found Dean already up gasping deeply for air. Leon was still somewhere below.

Sam and Dean looked at each other with hopeless eyes. This seemed like a lost battle already. They couldn't see. They couldn't breathe underwater. They had almost no way of combating the stupid thing. What were they to do?

Thunder rumbled through the dark sky, echoing across the dancing waves. The mood was bleak, but they couldn't give up. Both Sam and Dean knew what it was like to lose everyone they loved. They couldn't let it happen to Leon. They didn't want anyone else to have to know the feeling of being alone. With renewed vigor, they dove back under the water.

Dean just about jumped out of his skin when something grabbed his arm. He quickly looked to see what it was, while throwing a punch with the other hand. He quickly stopped the punch as he saw it was Leon. He pointed to the surface, so Dean and Sam swam back up with Leon.

"I found her." Leon shouted, looking both excited and worried. "Hurry!" He dove back under and Sam and Dean quickly followed. They all struggled against the current and cloudiness to make their way to Cassie. When they found her, she wasn't looking good.

She was floating in the middle of the water as if she was lying on a bed. She looked like Snow White, resting peacefully with her arms crossed over her chest. However, if they didn't act fast, she wasn't going to get the sweet awakening Snow White got.

They swam down to her and grabbed on. They began pulling her up to the surface. As they pulled, Sam looked her over and noticed a strange formation on her neck. He didn't want to believe it, but they looked like gills.

They emerged with a loud splash and a lot of heavy breathing from the Winchesters. Deep sea swimming was never in their training. "What do we do?" Dean finally asked. Leon and Sam just looked at him, both noticing that he was looking bad. His skin was pale and his eyes had bags under them. No one had any idea what to do. They didn't know how to stop whatever trance Cassie was under, nor did they have any idea where Aquarius was.

As if cued, Cassie's body was snagged back underwater. Dean reacted almost instantly, diving underwater to snag her back. There he came face-to-face with the monster himself. Aquarius, every bit as large as he was on the boat, swam before him in full-mermaid mode.

His face was devilish looking, snarling with large fangs. His arms and chest were incredibly muscular, like a young Arnold Schwarzenegger, and his bottom half was replaced now by an oversized tail that looked like it could propel him through waters at immense speeds.

"Shit." Dean mouthed underwater.

Dean pulled on Cassie, but he couldn't budge her. Aquarius had a hold on her too, and as much as Dean hated it, he was stronger. As Dean struggled to pull on Cassie, he found himself only being pulled further under water. He watched hopelessly as the gap between him and the surface grew wider and wider. As his lungs began to burn, begging hungrily for air, he had to let go of the young girl and return hastily to the surface.

Sam raced over to his brother as he resurfaced in a large splash, sucking in air as frantically as possible. He placed his hand on Dean's shoulder. "You okay?" Dean just nodded, still catching his breath. Their bodies rose up and down as the ocean's waves moved over them. "You gotta' sit this out, Dean. You're bleeding out!"

"She needs me, Sam." Dean looked down at his chest. _I do look pretty bad..._ "I can't quit now." Sam gave him the same face he always gives when he's worried about him, but he won't listen. Dean knew the face well. He could picture it in his sleep he had seen it so often.

"Where's Cassie?" Leon asked desperately.

"She's down there." Dean explained through serious eyes. "But so is he."

"What do we do?" Sam asked.

"This is what we do." Dean instructed them to huddle together. "Sam, you and I are going to handle the bodybuilding tuna. Leon, while he's dealing with us, you get your sister up here and onto our boat."

Leon nodded, but Sam looked at Dean with worried eyes. "How are we going to handle Aquarius? We can't beat him in a swimming contest. We can't overpower him either, plus you're losing blood like you're donating to the Red Cross!"

Dean ignored his brother's concerns. "We have the tooth." he said, trying to sound confident in their odds.

"Yeah, but we haven't broken his shell."

Dean gave him a strange look, as if Sammy was talking nonsense. "What do you mean?"

"The conch shell, Dean. Remember? It holds their mortality."

Dean's face dropped. "Yeah, I guess we'll have to handle that."

"How?" Sam asked.

"Remember, when he was that big naked guy on the boat?" Dean asked. Sammy nodded to him. "It was around his neck. The only thing he was wearing. It has to be the shell."

"That makes sense. He wouldn't want to separate from it." Sam affirmed.

"He even wore it every day when he was Stella." Leon chimed in.

"Gotta' be the one." Dean winked at the boys. "Ready?"

"This is a terrible plan." Sam admitted.

Dean didn't argue. "Yup. But it's all we got." With that he nodded at them. "Know what we're doing?" Both the guys gave their nods of understanding. "Let's do this." They each took a deep breath and dove under.

Under the water, Dean tapped on Leon's arm and pointed him toward where he had seen Cassie's body. Then he grabbed onto Sammy's arm. He would never admit it, but he was feeling weak. Sam knew it, but didn't argue. He just pulled him along so he could rest a bit. They swam together down to Cassie, a ways ahead of Leon.

Just as they assumed, Aquarius was looming over Cassie as her transformation into his mate ran its course. They could see that her gills had already grown in, and a casing was forming around her, like the people from the gym. Time was running out.

They swam in as quickly as they could and easily caught the attention of Aquarius. He swam at them, like a torpedo through the water, and collided into Sam like a freight train. Sam curled over in pain from the impact, and Aquarius began punching him, one after another. Dean swam up behind Aquarius and grabbed him from behind, locking his arms under Aquarius', trying to pull him off of Sammy. It worked, kinda'.

Aquarius bolted through the water as Dean held on tightly. He felt like he was riding the world's first entirely underwater rollercoaster. Only, this ride could end up being fatal. Water and sand pressed against his face as Aquarius took him on the joy ride from Hell.

As Dean held on, he could see the conch shell dangling from the monster's neck. He needed that! He reached for it, but Aquarius saw him. The monster grabbed Dean's hand and held it tightly. Dean winced in agony. It felt like he was going to break his hand. Dean looked around, on the verge of panicking. Sammy was nowhere to be found. He looked all around, and then finally up. Sammy was at the surface catching his breath. That made Dean all-too aware of his need for air. His lungs were burning. He let go of Aquarius, trying to go get air, but the monster wouldn't allow it. Dean couldn't hold on much longer.

Leon swam as quickly as he could with Cassie's body up to the surface. He made it there without any trouble. Sam and Dean were keeping their end of the plan. Aquarius was definitely distracted. Somehow, that only made Leon feel more worried.

He pulled Cassie onto the boat, out of the water, and noticed that the casing that was forming had a very negative reaction to being out of the water. Right before his eyes, the casing seemed to slowly deteriorate from around her body. _She's fine. They need my help..._ Leon thought, reluctantly, having taken a look back at his sleeping sister, he jumped into the ocean to find his new friends.

Dean felt like he was about to die. Aquarius pulled him to the bottom of the ocean and wrestled both his hands away from him. Dean groped at the monster's chest in a ditch effort to snag the conch shell. With an intense pain, Dean felt his arm pressed painfully against the ocean floor. With ease, still holding Dean's arm down, Aquarius lifted a large rock and placed it on Dean's arm. Dean about passed out from the pain, he worried that his arm was going to break, but luck was on his side. His arm was pushed into the sand, stuck, but not broken. It still hurt like hell, though. _Not that it matters much. I'll drown in a minute._ Dean's hope was fading quickly.

Sam swam to the ocean floor and grabbed a long piece of coral. With great effort, he managed to break it off from the rest, and using a few long pieces of seaweed, he carefully and tightly tied the shark's tooth onto the coral, making a primitive spear ready to kill any mermaid in his way. _Except he's still invincible..._ Sam thoughtdepressingly.

He swam up to the surface again. "Dean!" He hollered. He had no idea where Dean or Aquarius were. _He better not be dead._ Sam thought worriedly. He dove back under just in time to see Aquarius charging straight at him. He readied the spear, hoping to be able to ram it through the conch shell around his neck.

As Aquarius swam closer, Sam realized, there was no conch shell. It was gone. _Is he mortal?_ Sam crossed his fingers, but only in his mind, and aimed the spear for the monster's heart.

Dean's vision began fading to black as his lungs ran empty. He looked up to the surface, as if just seeing it could fill him with the needed oxygen. It didn't. But he did see a dark figure swimming toward him. _Great. I'm going to die._ Dean thought. He didn't try to fight it. It felt like justice for all the wrongs he had done. _I deserve this._

However, he noticed as the figure got closer, it was far too small to be Aquarius. He tried to focus on the figure, but couldn't. It was too hard. His eyes forced themselves closed so he could die in peace. Then they jolted back open as he felt lips pressing against his. _Is someone kissing me?_ He thought, more confused than he'd ever been. _Who is at the bottom of the ocean kissing me?_

That's when he realized it wasn't a kiss. He could feel air being passed into his mouth. It was warm, and too little, but it was a start. He focused on the source of the air. It was Leon. He breathed his remaining oxygen into Dean's mouth. _If Sammy sees this, he'll never let me live it down._ Dean thought, embarrassed by the situation, but also thankful that he might not die.

Leon quickly turned without even looking at Dean and returned to the surface. Thankfully the water where they were wasn't too deep. It only took Leon half a minute or so to return. He breathed more into Dean, trying to keep him alive. It was working. _But how long can he keep this up?_ Dean worried.

As he left Dean, rather than going back to the surface, Leon swam to the rock resting over Dean's arm and tried to lift it. If the situation wasn't so dire, Dean would've laughed. The kid was so small. It looked so obviously like a hopeless battle. Leon could never move that rock. _But Sammy could..._ Dean thought as he looked out into the murky water for his little brother. He couldn't see him. Leon left back for the surface. Dean didn't worry. He knew he'd be back. He would be fine, at least for now. It was Sammy that Dean was worried about.

The spear didn't even penetrate Aquarius' flesh. It deflected off it like a sword off of a knight's armor. The monster punched Sam hard, sending him back a few feet. Sam knew this was an impossible battle, so he swam away with all his might. As he fled, he noticed Aquarius didn't follow. Rather, the monster was going for the surface. _I hope Leon will be okay._ He thought. He needed to find Dean. The conch shell was missing. They had a big problem.

He swam until he saw Leon swimming down from the surface in a hurry. Sam looked behind him for any signs of Aquarius. He wasn't there. _What is Leon running from?_

Sam watched as Leon descended to the floor. That's when he saw his big brother, pinned under a rock. "DEAN!" He yelled, but the water muffled his cry. Leon swam to his brother and kissed him. Sam raised an eyebrow at that, but brushed aside all the hysterical comments he could make to a better suited time. He swam full-force toward Dean.

Dean's spirits lifted when he saw Sammy swim toward him. One: That meant he was alive. Two: It meant he could get out of under this rock. Sammy got Leon's attention and gestured for him to help with the rock. Together, they pushed the rock off of Dean's arm. As Dean pulled his hand off the sandy floor a smirk crossed his mouth. In his hand was the conch shell from Aquarius' neck. They all took a second to exchange celebratory smiles before rushing to the surface to catch their breaths.

Dean emerged from the water like he was ascending into heaven; not the heaven he had been to before, but the heaven like it was spoken of in the Bible. It felt glorious. The air flowed into his lungs so freely. He never thought just being able to breathe could feel so good.

They swam back to their boat. "No. No, no, no, no." Leon began panicking.

"What?" Sammy asked swimming to the edge of the boat.

"She's gone. He's got her again."

"We'll get her back." Dean assured him. "But first thing's first." With those words, Dean smashed the conch shell hard into the side of the boat. It cut his hand a bit, but he didn't care. He watched with hope as the eerie light flowed out of the shell, just as it had when they broke Cordelia's. It was the sure sign that he was mortal again.

"Now we can save her." Sam said sternly. "For good."

"First thing's first." Dean almost whimpered, hand clutched to his wound. Sam's eyes lit up with understanding and they headed into the captain's quarters and used the first-aid kit to sew the wound closed.

"Are you doing alright?" Sam asked, trying to both distract Dean from the pain and address his nightmare problems.

"I'll be better once that bastard's dead." He grunted.

"Me too." Sam smiled awkwardly. That wasn't really the answer he wanted. He wanted to know whether or not Dean was okay in the head. "What about..." His voice trailed off.

"About what?" Dean was looking a bit irritated.

"Forget it."

"Me? My head? The nightmares?" Dean guessed, knowing exactly what was on Sam's mind. "I'm dealing. Can we just save Cassie and talk about this later?"

"We need to talk about it." Sam was stern.

"I promise. Later. We'll talk. Chick flick moment. Bring ice cream and we'll have a pillow fight, whatever else you want."

"Dean..." Sam said, looking at his brother with admonishment.

"Fine." Dean sighed heavily. "We'll talk. Promise."

"Thank you." Sam put the needle down. "All done. Let's get this show on the road." With those words, Dean's face lit up. He was ready for this whole 'vacation' to be over. They both went out to meet Leon on the deck.

"Let's go." Leon said, looking antsy. Without even waiting for any indication of the Winchesters' readiness to dive, he dove back down into the Gulf. Sam held the spear up to Dean, and they both nodded. Things seemed a bit more possible now. Dean looked weak, like he was about to pass out, but brushed it off. It worried Sam immensely, but out in the middle of the ocean, there wasn't much that he could do. He just hoped he would be okay. They dove down and quickly caught up with the much shorter Leon.


	38. Chapter 38

Chapter 38

The spear gripped tightly in his hand, Sam swam alongside his brother and Leon, looking for any sign of Cassie or Aquarius. He glanced over to see how Dean was doing. As he hoped, Dean's wound was not bleeding. The stitches were holding up and he seemed to be himself. No nightmares or anything...for the moment. As they reached the ocean floor, Leon pointed them to their right. They could just barely make out a figure through the murky water. It was Cassie.

They swam over to her and found the casing of a cocoon reforming around her. _It must need the water to grow_ , Sammy thought. Leon and Dean grabbed onto Cassie and began swimming her back to the surface. Sam kept his eyes darting from one place to another, trying to catch any movement in the water. He couldn't see anything, though.

Suddenly, Leon was pulled away from Cassie in an instant. Dean swam quickly to Sam and pointed him in the direction Leon was taken. In the distance they could see a large figure with Leon. They couldn't tell with their eyes, but they knew, it was Aquarius.

They swam to the surface quickly, took a big breath, and headed down to engage Aquarius. They knew it wasn't going to be easy, but they were as ready as they could be.

Aquarius remained still, his big arm around Leon's throat. Leon could hold his breath a long time, but he looked like he needed air. They floated in a stand-off, each person waiting for the other to make the first move. Finally, Dean couldn't wait anymore. Leon needed to breathe. He needed help. Dean launched himself at Aquarius, fist ready for a fight. Aquarius grabbed Leon's head like he was going to break his neck, so Dean stopped. Leon's eyes looked into his, pleading for help. Dean wasn't sure what to do. He couldn't cross the distance between them fast enough to stop the monster. _Think Dean, think! What can you do?_

Suddenly, Aquarius cried out in pain, dropping Leon. He turned quickly and slugged Sam hard in the cheek. Sam was sent back several feet as he tried not to let the pain send him out of focus. Dean saw in Aquarius' back was the spear. It was stuck in, but not nearly deep enough. Now free, Leon swam down to his sister and began swimming her up to the surface. They needed to get the cocoon off of her before she was transformed and ready to be his mate.

Dean knew he needed to get that spear. He swam up to the monster while it was still focused on Sammy, and reached for the spear. The moment he made contact with it, Aquarius turned around and slashed his claws at Dean. Just barely dodging the attack, Dean swam back a few feet, spearless.

The monster snarled at him. Sam attempted the same maneuver while Aquarius was looking at Dean, but the beast anticipated it and smacked Sam hard with his fin. Dean swam in and punched Aquarius as hard as he could, but it wasn't nearly hard enough. However, it did distract him long enough for Sam to grab the spear. The monster shoved Dean away, and turned his attention to Sam.

Sam felt like a gladiator, spear in hand, waiting for the beast to make his move. It all happened too fast for Sam to react. Aquarius' tail-fin shot up and smacked hard between Sam's legs making him curl up in pain. The monster then smacked the spear out of Sam's hands and it floated like a leaf to the bottom of the Gulf.

Dean tried to swim down to it, but was quickly snagged by Aquarius. He struggled, but simply couldn't overpower the monster. He was too strong! The beast seemed to enjoy himself a bit too much as he railed into Dean, punching him and beating him with his fin. Dean cried out, but the water silenced his agony.

Sam came up behind Aquarius and tried to pry him off of his brother, but the monster was like Superman. There was no way a normal human was going to overpower the guy. After he had sufficiently beaten Dean, he turned to Sam and beat on him. Sam was glad Dean was being left alone, but he couldn't say that he particularly enjoyed the pain he was in now.

Dean swam over to Sam like a broken puppy, and clung to his brother, trying to shield him from Aquarius. He couldn't let Sam get anymore hurt than he already was.He was the big brother. He was supposed to take the beatings. Aquarius, as if he had read his mind and agreed, grabbed Dean by the throat and began strangling him. With his strength, Dean knew he could have crushed his esophagus with ease, so he must have been enjoying feeling the life drain from him.

Sam grabbed Aquarius' hands and tried to pry them off of Dean, but there was no chance. Aquarius didn't even seem to notice. Then Sam felt something wrap around his leg. Looking down, he realized it was Aquarius' tail fin. _I guess he did notice._ Sam thought. He kicked at the fin with his free leg and still groped at the monster's nasty hands, trying to free his brother. He could see Dean's face turning blue. Sam knew time was running short. _I'll be blue in not too long as well..._ He thought hopelessly. There was no getting out of this.

Aquarius smirked at them. Victory was his. There was no way that the brothers were getting out of this one. Suddenly, Aquarius screamed in pain, and released both the brothers. He looked over his shoulder and saw Leon, the pesky boy, holding the spear, trying as hard as he could to push it far enough in to do some real damage.

In a panic, Aquarius turned around and smacked the kid as hard as he could. Sam and Dean both saw the opportunity presented before them. Together, they grasped the spear, and with all the strength in their bodies, pushed and swam as hard as they could. The spear plunged the rest of the way into Aquarius, causing his skin to begin changing color. They could see his veins pumping the shark tooth's fatal energy through his body.

Sam risked a smile at Dean, and saw that Dean was passed out in the water. Quickly, he grabbed his brother and raced him up to the surface. As he emerged Sam cried for his brother, "Dean! DEAN!"

Nothing. Dean didn't move.

Leon emerged from the water. "We did it! He's dead!" He cheered, and then realized something was wrong. Sam was crying and Dean was limp in his arms. "Quick! To the boat!"

Sam brought Dean over to the boat and laid him on the floor on his back. Leon leaned over him and breathed into his mouth, and then pumped on his chest. "Will this work?" Sam asked, scared to death. Leon didn't respond. He kept on breathing in and pumping, trying to bring life back to Dean. Sam watched in worry, his world being destroyed right before him.

Leon bent down to breathe into Dean again, when the older brother coughed up water onto his face. Leon wiped it off and smiled. Dean kept coughing and breathing frantically, trying to suck life back into his beaten body. He was worse for wear, but he was going to live. Leon wrapped his arms around the big guy and hugged him for much longer than Dean was normally comfortable with, but he gave in and hugged the boy back.

Sam's tears went from worried tears to tears of relief. Dean was alive and fine. Sam walked over and embraced the both of them. "Thank you, Leon." He said with a cracked voice.

"No kidding." Dean coughed. "You saved me."

"You saved me." Leon thanked. He stood up. "We gotta' save my sister." His face was worried again.

Dean began to stand up to get Cassie, but Leon gently pushed him back onto the floor. "You stay." Sam said. Leon winked at Dean. Dean put his hands up in surrender and relaxed a bit.

Sam and Leon dove into the ocean, still keeping their eyes open for the beast, just in case. It wouldn't have been the first time the monster made a reappearance. _Hopefully, not this time..._ Sam thought, his eyes darting from one direction to another.

They reached Cassie, who was resting on the bottom of the ocean, and they swam her back up. _We're lucky he didn't take her out into deeper water._ Sam thought as they pulled her up. Dean stood waiting on the boat, and pulled Cassie up as they handed her to him. The casing was almost entirely around her legs before they got her on the boat.

As he set her down, he could already see the cocoon disintegrating from around her. He inspected her neck. The gills were closing up too. Whatever power Aquarius had over her was fading away with his death. Dean sighed in relief. _We really lucked out this time..._

Sam and Leon climbed on board and ran over to Cassie. "How is she?" Leon asked, worry dripping from his voice.

"She's gonna' be fine." Dean assured him.

"How do you know?" Leon asked, looking her over.

"Just a hunch."

Sam walked over and looked at the girl too. "I'd agree with that hunch, though. She looks unharmed and like she's already returning to normal."

"Why isn't she awake?" Leon asked, looking at Sam like he was the family doctor.

Sam felt flustered. He was only guessing. "Give it time. If she doesn't wake once her body returns to normal, we'll take her to the hospital."

Leon was crying and hugging his sister. "I can't believe this is all over. I can't believe any of this really happened. I can't. -" Dean placed his hand on his shoulder.

"Don't worry about that now." he said in a very fatherly voice. "Just be glad she's okay. Be glad you're okay."

Leon smiled. "I have you to thank for that."

"It goes both ways. You saved us from being strangled to death! When you drove the spear into his back! Man that was awesome!" Dean exclaimed as if he was talking about an action movie he had watched.

Leon blushed. "Thanks." Dean smiled back at him. "I mean, for everything." He looked over at Sam who winked at him. Leon couldn't help but smile. He couldn't believe it was all over, but he was so happy it was.

"Let's get home." Dean said, as he started the boat up and headed back to shore.


	39. Chapter 39

Chapter 39

Wearing their black suits, Sam and Dean walked into a small church building near the beach. Everyone inside was wearing dark colors and acting very somber. The brothers took their seats in a pew in the back. The people around them looked at them as if they weren't welcomed.

"Ever feel like people are staring?" Dean whispered to Sam.

"They don't know who we are. They're probably just curious how we know Karen and Chester."

"I guess." Was all Dean said.

A church service started, a funeral for both Karen and Chester Sonova. Both Sam and Dean could see Leon and Cassie sitting in the first pew of the church, right by both caskets. They were crying bitterly. It could be heard over the preaching of the pastor. Dean's heart broke for them both. He thought back to when Sam had died in his arms. It was an indescribable feeling. It was a feeling he wished they didn't have to go through. He thought about all the people that must have gone through this because of the things he had done as a demon. He had broken so many families. He had left so many children without their parents, without their siblings. He cried, not just for the Sonova family, but for all the families he had destroyed. He cried for his own miserable existence. This wasn't the first time he had done terrible things. _You're so weak, Dean! First you torture the souls in Hell, then you become a demon yourself and ruin people's lives on earth. Some hunter you are..._ He cried until he felt Sam's hand take his. Then he wept. Sam looked around. People were staring at them now. Dean was making quite the scene, giving the impression he was really close to Chester or Karen. Somehow, Sam didn't care. Whatever was on Dean's mind and heart needed to be let out, and Sam was determined to be there with him when it was.

The service came to an end and the preacher asked that all pall-bearers would step forward. Dean and Sam sat watching as strangers stood and took their spots by the casket. Karen's casket was taken out first by several middle-aged people, whom they assumed were police officers. One of them was the sheriff.

Then it was Chester's turn. The bartender from the Tiki Torch Tavern stood by the casket, as did someone Sam and Dean had never seen before, probably a friend of Chester. Then Leon stood behind the casket and scanned the crowd until he made eye contact with Dean.

"Sam, Dean..." Was all he said. "Please?"

Dean and Sam looked at each other, smiled shyly, and stood up. They took their places, and with the other two, lifted the casket and carried it slowly out of the church.

They followed the first casket to a small cemetery. It stopped next to two other grave markers. Dean glanced at them. They both read the bold words "SONOVA". They were Cassie's and Leon's parents. There was another down where they were placing Karen's casket that also said "SONOVA". It was their grandfather. Dean couldn't help but feel bad for these kids. Their entire family was lying in the ground here. Now they were putting more members down into the dirt.

The caskets were placed nicely, and the service went well. Leon and Cassie cried more, but they weren't the only ones. The crowds cried. Karen and Chester must have been really loved. Sam and Dean stood off to the side and watched as crowds of people hugged, kissed, and comforted Cassie and Leon.

"They sure have a lot of people around them." Dean commented.

Sam smiled. "They're loved."

"It's not hard to believe. We've only been here for a few days and I feel like we've been close to them for years and years."

"I know it." Sam laughed a bit. "They're extraordinary kids."

Dean laughed too. "Y'know. They're not really kids. They're just short."

Sam chuckled at that comment. "They're young too."

"I guess. Maybe we're just old." They smiled at each other. "I'm glad we could be here for them." Dean said, more seriously.

"Me too."

Sheriff Summers approached the brothers with a quizzical look on his face. "I'm a bit surprised to see you here." He commented. "And as pall-bearers. I didn't know you knew the Sonova family."

"We're friends of Leon and Cassie." Dean said, trying to tell the vague truth.

"So, _Sam and Dean,_ " He put emphasis on their names. "Not the names you told me."

Sam and Dean tried to speak, but both were flustered and at a loss of words. "Sheriff..." Dean started.

"Don't." Summers said. "No lies. I'm not gonna' ask who you are. Leon already explained to me how you saved him and Cassie when they got kidnapped. I'll just give you the same lecture I gave them."

"What's that?" Sam asked through his puppy-dog eyes.

"When something like that happens." The Sheriff looked at them both in the eyes, one-by-one. "Call the police. You could have gotten hurt."

"We're sorry." Sam apologized.

"No harm this time. I'm just glad you were there. I can see how much you mean to those kids. So whoever you are, thank you. Those kids need someone they can rely on right now. Someone they can call friend, or even better, family."

"I'm not sure that's us." Dean said sheepishly. "We're not that great."

Sheriff looked over at Leon, who was smiling at Dean. "He seems to think you are. Don't let him down, or you'll be answering to me. Karen was a dear friend of mine. I'll be keeping my eyes on those kids. I hope you'll be there for them too." With those words, Sheriff Summers retreated back to the crowd.

Sam and Dean looked at each other, dumbstruck. Leon and Cassie walked over to them. Leon threw his arms around Dean, and Cassie did the same to Sam. They stood like that for a while, which did not go unnoticed by the crowd.

"Thank you for everything." Leon said.

"Don't mention it." Dean told him, pulling him in a bit tighter. "We're happy we could be here for you. I just wish things weren't like this."

"Me too. But they are. That's just life." Cassie said, looking teary-eyed at Dean. "But it's okay. We'll see them again."

Dean smiled at her and nodded. "You guys going to be okay?"

Leon nodded, tears in his eyes, arms still tightly around Dean. "You're leaving, aren't you?"

Dean sighed heavily as they broke their embrace. He looked Leon in the eyes. "Yeah, sorry champ. We've got to. You saw the kinds of things out there. We gotta' keep hunting. There's others out there who need saved."

"I know." He took a deep breath. "I still hate to see you go. You've been a good friend."

They hugged again. "You've got my number. Call or text anytime." Leon nodded.

Dean and Sam sent the kids back to the crowds of loving friends waiting for them, and then snuck out unnoticed back to their motel. They packed their bags and called a taxi.

"We've got a plane to catch." Sam smirked at Dean.

"Oh, joy..." Dean sighed. "Can't we walk back?"

"Walk all the way to Ohio from Florida? Sure, Dean. We'll do that."

"Really?" Dean's face glowed.

"No." Sam said flatly. "We're flying."

Dean groaned loudly. "You better have Ozzy!"


	40. Chapter 40

Chapter 40

The plane landed in Toledo, Ohio without any problems. The flight was smooth and uneventful, but that didn't stop Dean from nearly having a heart attack. They exited the airport in a hurry. Sam figured people woulda' thought the airport was about to blow up by the way Dean was racing to the exit.

When they arrived at the parking lot they hailed a taxi and had it take them back to where they had hidden the Impala. The moment was just as Dean imagined entering into heaven would be like. Dean met face-to-face with his baby for the first time in days! It was glorious for him, but for Sam it was a bit creepy. Dean walked up and baby-talked to the vehicle. "I'm here, baby. Did'ja miss me?" The Impala didn't speak back. But Dean apparently heard something. "I know, baby. I promise, I won't leave you alone again. It was Sam's fault, he made me go! Be mad at him." For some reason Sam was offended at Dean for throwing the blame at him, as if the Impala was going to be unjustly angry at him. _It's just a car, Sam. It can't be mad._

They loaded their stuff and hopped in the car. Driving out of Toledo, Dean let out a long sigh. "Feels good to be back to normal. In the Impala. You and me. Dressed in actual clothes. All I need is a beer."

"Not while you're driving." Sam said sternly.

"You're no fun."

"Bite me." Sam retorted in a joking manner.

"Maybe you're more fun than I thought. Kinky."

Sam just rolled his eyes. "Where are we going?"

"Nowhere in particular right now. Just driving. It's been too long."

"It hasn't even been a week."

"But it's been over a day! That's too long." Dean said as if he was in pain. He cranked the music up. It was _Sandman_ by Metallica. Dean sang along, not well, as they drove. Sam closed his eyes and tried to relax.

Dean drove the roads aimlessly, trying to clear his mind, preparing for the moment Sammy would want to talk. He knew he meant well, but some problems didn't have easy solutions. If Dean knew how to be perfect, then he would be. But he didn't. He was just him, flaws and all. This was one flaw he wasn't sure how to overcome. He looked at his sleeping brother. _He's smart. He'll figure this out. Just let him in, Dean. Let the walls down for once..._

Sam woke up from a nap, and took in their surroundings. The Impala wasn't moving. It was parked and Dean wasn't in his seat. Looking around, Sam saw that they were parked at a scenic overlook, somewhere in the middle of nowhere. But there were mountains, or at least large hills.

He exited the car and walked down a short path toward the actual overlook. Dean was sitting at a picnic table alone, drinking a beer. Sam sat by him.

"Where are we?" He asked.

"Kentucky." Dean answered, taking another swig of beer.

"You're not driving?" Sam asked, a bit confused.

"Nah, too much going on in my head." Dean said, still not looking at his brother. Sammy looked at him puzzled. _Dean never speaks so openly about his feelings or thoughts. And since when has he ever had too much on his mind that he didn't want to drive his baby?_ He was beginning to get more worried than he already had been.

"What's going on?"

Dean sighed. "I'm not gonna' lie. I really don't want to tell you any of this." He looked at Sammy, worry and anxiety plastered on his features. "But you said you'd never leave me."

"I won't." Sam said quietly, worried about Dean.

"I hope you mean it."

"I do."

Dean sighed again, and finished the rest of his beer. Sam waited patiently for Dean to open up. It always took him awhile to get to his point when talking about things like this. It was best not to push him or he might close up. He sighed again. "It's just..." He trailed off. Sam sat quietly, all ears. Dean locked eyes with him. His eyes were wet, but not crying. "It's just, I don't know where to begin."

"Start anywhere." Sam said through very patient, puppy-dog eyes.

"Being a demon." Dean started with difficulty. "I did awful things."

"It wasn't you." Sam assured him.

"But it was. I remember it. I wasn't possessed. It _was_ me, Sammy. _I_ Did terrible things." Dean began crying some. His voice was shaky. "There's nothing I can do to make up for it. First I screw up in Hell, torturing those people. Did I learn my lesson? No!" He takes a deep, shaky breath. "Then I become a demon and I do the same exact thing. I'm screwed up, man."

Sam feels tears in his eyes too. "We're all screwed up, Dean."

He lets out a fake laugh. "Not like this, Sammy. I killed innocent people. Brutally, Sammy. I killed them in horrible ways. All because Crowley told me to." He sighed. "Sometimes just because I wanted to. I liked it! It was like all the darkness, all the hurt I had in me, it just came out of me as a demon. It was like I had chains taken off of me. Free to do all things that I secretly wanted to do before, but could actually do as a demon without worrying about consequences." His head drooped low. "I'm sick, Sammy. Sick."

"You were a demon, Dean. You weren't yourself. No one blames you for what happened. The Mark of Cain messed with you. Crowley tricked us."

"People blame me, Sammy."

"I don't!" Sammy nearly shouted. Dean looked at him with sad eyes, desperate for help, whether he knew it himself or not.

"You should." He whispered.

"I don't."

"I'm a screw-up, Sammy. I've hurt, killed, and ruined people. All I do is mess things up. Ruin people's lives."

"That's not true. You didn't ruin Leon and Cassie's lives. Leon practically had a man-crush on you." Sammy argued.

"I couldn't save their family." Dean said, looking at his boots.

"That's not your fault, Dean, and you know it." Sam scooted closer to his brother on the bench. "You couldn't have stopped what happened."

Dean sighed and began crying audibly. He hung his head low between his legs. His beer bottle dropped to the ground with a _thud_. "I just want to help people. But I can't. I screw up. I've done more harm to this world than saving it."

"Not true. You save lives."

"Do I, Sammy?" Dean almost shouted it. Sam straightened up, a bit shocked from the sudden outburst. Dean got quiet again. "Do I, really?"

"Yes."

"Like who? Mom? She's dead."

"You were a kid, Dean!"

"Dad? Jessica? I tore you away from her and she died."

"You didn't know what was going to happen. No one did."

"Ellen? Ash? Jo?" Dean breathed heavily, trying to overcome his tears. "Garth? _Bobby?_ "

Both lowered their heads at Bobby's name. They both missed him. He was a second father to them.

"What about Charlie? Kevin? Mrs. Tran?" Dean looked at Sammy. "The list seems endless, man."

"You couldn't have stopped any of their deaths." Sammy said.

"I let them down. I let everyone down."

"Not me." Sam said pointedly. His eyes were locked fiercely on Dean and his voice as firm and clear as diamond. "Not me."

Dean looked at him, desperation in his eyes. He needed saving from his grief and guilt. Sammy was his last beacon of hope. The only light to guide Dean through his own darkness.

"You never let me down. You rescued me from a burning building. You rescued me from being dead, Dean! You saved me from Ruby, from Lilith, from Lucifer. You've rescued me more times than I can count. You've always been here for me. I wake up every morning knowing that I've always got someone backing me up; My big brother." Sam smiled shyly at his brother. "You're my hero. Never a let-down."

"I tried to kill you, Sammy." Dean said, the words came out like they were poison in his mouth, like just saying them could make it all happen again.

"That wasn't you. Even if it was, I'm over it. It never bothered me. I was scared for you, not for me."

"Some things can't be forgotten, Sammy."

"I haven't forgotten it. But I'm more than over it." Sammy said softly. Dean looked him in the eyes. Sam scooted closer on the bench and put his big hand on Dean's arm. "I've forgiven you."

"Don't." Dean looked away from him. "You shouldn't."

"I already have." Sam's heart melted for his brother. "You're forgiven, Dean."

Dean choked out the words, "I can't forgive myself. I don't deserve it."

"You need to. You deserve it." Sammy said. "You can't hold onto all the wrongs you've done." Sam sighed. "If I held onto all the wrongs I've done, I wouldn't be able to get up in the morning. I've done so many wrong things. Remember when I was Satan's vessel? Remember when I was addicted to Demon's Blood, despite you telling me it was wrong?"

Dean nodded. "Yeah. You were a junkie."

"And you got me out of it. You forgave me, even though I had betrayed you. More than once, I hate to add." Sam was crying, thinking of the terrible memories. "You convinced me to forgive myself. Please..." His voice was shaky "...do the same for yourself."

"I can't. I hurt so many people."

"You did, and nothing can change that. But it's in the past. Now we move forward. We help more people like Leon and Cassie." Sam smiled at Dean. "People need you. Forgive yourself, Dean. You need the rest. You need the peace." He hugged Dean, who cried bitterly into his shoulder.

"I can't sleep, Sammy." He mumbled into Sam's shoulder. "I can't close my eyes without reliving the terrible things. Every night I see myself killing again. Every time I blink I get a hint of the pain I inflicted on innocent people."

"I'm here. Whenever you need me. I'm here." He rubbed Dean's back. "If I need to stay up all night with you, I will. If I need to pound forgiveness into that thick skull of yours..." He tapped Dean's forehead with his knuckles, "...I will."

"I know you will." Dean said quietly and then went silent. The tears stopped. Sam could feel Dean breathing very deeply, trying to calm down. Sam kept rubbing his back.

"You know you can always talk to me, right?" Sam asked, resting his chin on Dean's head as he held him in a tight embrace. Dean just nodded shallowly. "I'm never leaving you. Don't ever think I'll leave you. Ain't happenin'." Dean just nodded again.

They remained like that, in silence, for what felt like forever to Sammy. He could feel Dean's breathing becoming more regular and calm. "Thanks." Dean whispered.

"You're everything to me." Sam said, "I can't imagine life without you."

"Ditto." Dean said, handing the keys to the Impala to Sam. "You drive."

"Where to?" Sam asked taking the keys.

"Anywhere. I just need to rest."

Sam smiled. "You got it, bro'." They got up and headed to the car. Sam stopped as he felt a tug on his arm. He looked back at Dean. "What?"

"Just..." Dean smiled sheepishly. "Thanks for the talk." Sam didn't say anything. He just smiled at Dean and let the chick-flick moment pass before Dean got more uncomfortable than he already was.

Sam took the driver's seat and drove through the hilly landscape of Kentucky to nowhere in particular. Looking over at his big brother, a smile crept across his face. Dean was sleeping peacefully for the first time in what seemed like forever. Sam let out a sigh of relief to himself. It seemed like everything was going to be okay. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the torn piece of paper with Dr. Burns' number on. He glanced at the number, rolled down the window, and tossed the paper out. As the paper left his hand, he looked over at his brother and smiled. _Things are going to be okay._

The sky above was clear and the weather was comfortable. With the road to himself, he sped the Impala through the hills of Kentucky, just like Dean would. It was time they found a new case.


End file.
